Renovation of CT sports and entertainment arena will need to downsize as cost skyrockets

KENNETH R. GOSSELIN 

A major renovation of Hartford’s XL Center would cost tens of millions of dollars more than an estimate of $107 million, throwing into uncertainty a long-debated makeover of the aging arena and likely forcing another downsizing.

Five months ago, the Capital Region Development Authority sought bids for what the already-downsized renovation of the sports and entertainment arena would actually cost. Since then, an analysis by the quasi-public CRDA of the bids — covering the individual components of the project — came in at more than $140 million. That’s not only well above the estimate, but also the state funding and private investment tentatively in place to finance the renovation.

 

“The dilemma is this: we can spend the $100 million and just make a lot of repairs and not have much to show for it,” Michael W. Freimuth, executive director of CRDA, which oversees the arena’s operations, said. “We can do a lot of sexy things and not do the base repairs. Then the elevator stops and then it’s ‘What did you do?’ We’re kind of between a rock and a hard place.”

Freimuth said the $140 million is clearly a “nonstarter.” But Freimuth said he believes the project could be trimmed down to $125 million, making some deep cuts without sacrificing what is needed to make the venue profitable, critical to securing the private investment.

“I think we’re close, but we’re not there,” Freimuth said.

The approach will require a new set of bids, as required under the state’s procurement rules, Freimuth said. A decision would be pushed out until June and it’s not certain, even then, if the project will go forward. If it does, renovations would potentially get underway in the fall.

If the next set of bids comes in close to the $125 million, the project still may require additional money, perhaps from the local corporate community.

Freimuth said if the bids are again too high, the venue may be forced to continue to “muddle through” as it has, making repairs in “band-aid” fashion.

CRDA’s board of directors at their monthly meeting Thursday were supportive of pursuing another round of bids,

Board member Andy F. Bessette, chief administrative officer at Travelers Co., said he found support for the renovation among senior state officials to whom he has recently spoken.

“I’d say the mindset is very positive,” Bessette said. “It’s not like they’re saying blow it up or stop it or whatever. I think there is real support in the legislature and above. Everyone understands how important it is to downtown and to Hartford.”

This latest development on the cost of an arena renovation comes after more than a decade of disagreement over the future of the arena, which turns 50 next year.

Opponents of a makeover have long argued that it is too costly for state taxpayers, and the building should eventually be closed. Typically, the venue has lost $2 million a year, more during the pandemic.

Supporters say it is an essential part of downtown’s ecosystem and a regional asset. With an expected shift to less office space and more housing, the arena could emerge with even more importance, as entertainment rises in prominence.

The opening last year of a $5 million sports betting venue at the arena was seen as a prelude to the bigger renovation.

Whittling down

The renovations are aimed at making the XL Center more competitive with new arenas to attract more events; help the venue turn around a money-losing track record and carry it through another two decades.

The current plan — downsized from $250 million a few years ago — concentrates on adding premium seating to the lower half of the arena, which command higher ticket prices.

The premium seating — includes “loge” seating off the concourse, club space under the stands and “bunker suites” at the event level — plus upgraded concessions are all intended to increase the arena’s revenue.

Technology also would be a priority to better accommodate electronic ticketing, phone app transactions and the heavy social media posting and texting during events.

Whittling down the renovation might mean cutting out the reconfiguration of the loading dock to get trucks connected with shows and concerts in and out more quickly, saving $18 million, Freimuth said.

There might be less premium seating, say, fewer bunker suites, Freimuth said.

Freimuth said technology has to be a priority in whatever form the renovation takes. Upgrades to electrical systems are another must-have to accommodate the ever-increasing needs of shows and concerts, Freimuth said.

Attracting more concerts

The state legislature has approved a total of $80 million in public funding for the renovation in recent years.

Gov. Ned Lamont has supported a significant upgrade to the XL Center, but only with private investment that would ease the burden on state taxpayers who would pick up the largest part of the tab.

Last year, state lawmakers backed a plan that would allow at least $20 million in private investment in the project.

Los Angeles-based Oak View Group, which now runs the day-to-day operations at XL, has expressed a strong interest in investing in the XL Center for nearly two years. OVG has been in negotiations with CRDA over the level of the investment.

 

But for OVG to make that investment, renovations must be made to secure a return on that investment.

OVG has a depth of experience in repositioning sports and entertainment venues. The organization manages 300 sports and entertainment venues globally and redevelops others.

OVG’s investment is tied strongly to attracting more concerts to the XL Center, events that are large money makers for modern arenas. But to draw more big-name concert bookings, renovations also will have to include relocation of the stage to increase the number of seats that have a unobstructed view of performers; build the overhead structure needed for modern light shows; and retrofit a loading dock at the back of the arena to move shows in and out more quickly.

If OVG agrees to invest, the organization would significantly expand its operation of the arena, including negotiating contracts with major tenants such as the University of Connecticut and paying for the majority of repairs to the building, excluding major big-ticket improvements.

The legislation calls for OVG to absorb any annual net losses at the arena, but it would keep the first $4 million in net profits. Above $4 million, net profits would be split between OVG and CRDA.

Connecticut wants to penalize insurers for backing fossil fuel projects

Jake Bittle | Grist

The nation’s insurance industry has gone haywire in recent years amid a succession of floods, fires, and other climate-fueled disasters. These catastrophes have forced carriers to pay out billions in claims, and many have responded by raising premiums in disaster-prone states like Florida and Oregon or leaving certain markets altogether.

But many of these companies ao provide coverage for fossil fuel projects, like pipelines and natural gas power plants, that would never be built without their backing. This gives the insurance industry a unique role on both sides of the climate crisis: Insurers are helping make the problem worse by underwriting the very projects that warm the Earth even as they bear the costs of mounting climate disasters and pass them on to customers.

Legislation in Connecticut, the capital of the American insurance industry and home to several of its largest carriers, could make insurers pay for that contradiction. If passed, the bill, which just cleared a committee vote in the state Senate, would move toward imposing a fee for any fossil fuel projects companies insure in-state. That revenue would go into a public resilience fund that could underwrite sea walls and urban flood protection measures.

“It’s important to begin to hold [insurers] accountable for how they’ve played it both ways in terms of climate change,” said Tom Swan, the executive director of Connecticut Citizen Action Group, an economic justice nonprofit that has joined several environmental organizations in lobbying the legislature to pass the bill. “People are seeing skyrocketing rates, or they’re pulling out of different areas, and they continue to underwrite and invest in fossil fuels at a pace much greater than their colleagues across the globe,” he said.

The group pushed a more aggressive proposal last year that would have charged insurers a 5 percent fee for any fossil fuel coverage they issued in the United States, but that bill failed after critics raised several legal questions. In particular, the industry argued that the Constitution’s interstate commerce clause prohibits taxing a company’s out-of-state business.

The new version, attached as an amendment to a climate resilience bill proposed by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, would only require the state to produce a proposal for an insurance mechanism. The surcharge would apply only to fossil fuel projects these companies insure in Connecticut, avoiding that constitutional challenge.

The assessment would apply not only to new pipelines and fuel terminals, which require ample insurance to attract lenders and investors, but to current coverage for existing infrastructure as well. This means anyone covering the state’s dozens of oil- and gas-fueled power plants would be contributing to the resilience fund. A report from Connecticut Citizen Action Group and several other environmental nonprofits found that the state’s insurers have together invested $221 billion in fossil fuels.

Supporters argue the reduced fee would still raise tens or hundreds of millions of dollars for climate resilience. Connecticut received about $318 million in FEMA disaster aid between 2011 and 2021, or about $149 in spending per capita, according to the climate adaptation nonprofit Rebuild by Design. That puts the state well below disaster-prone locales like Louisiana, which saw $1,736 in federal disaster aid per capita, but far above those like Delaware that haven’t experienced a major disaster in the past decade.

Eric George, the president of the Insurance Association of Connecticut, the state’s largest insurance trade association, said the organization would “strongly oppose” any surcharge, but added that he was still studying the bill.

The legislation comes as other states, including Vermont and Maryland, introduce “polluters pay” bills to hold oil producers accountable for climate damages. Connecticut’s proposed law is an iteration of that effort focused on an area where state regulators wield significant influence, said Risalat Khan of the Sunrise Project, a nonprofit focused on energy transition policy. 

“People are very directly seeing their premiums rise, in relation to climate disasters,” he said. “There’s a direct question there of, why aren’t state level regulators using more of their power to take local action?”

The significance of this financing mechanism could vary from state to state, says Benjamin Keys, a professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on climate insurance risks. 

“One major issue is that the fuels are collected and burned everywhere, but the pain of natural disasters is local in nature,” he said. Because of that, he questioned whether the financing mechanism “would be feasible for all communities to emulate, because many places have [lots of] disasters hit, but very little in the way of fossil fuel production.” Florida, for instance, doesn’t have much more fossil fuel infrastructure than Connecticut, but faces extreme weather and other catastrophes far more often.

Even though the legislation is weaker than the previous version, supporters say passing it in the home of the country’s insurance industry would send a message to big companies that are still underwriting oil and gas projects.

“I think it’s a good policy, but from a narrative-setting perspective, it’s really important,” said Swan.

Proposed Budget Boosts IIJA Transportation Construction Programs

LUCY PERRY

Citing its vision to protect and build on the progress made over the past three years, the Biden administration released its proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year. With almost $79 billion earmarked for highway, safety and transit programs, the budget also adds $9.5 billion to support the resilience, safety and sustainability of the nation's transportation network via the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Enacted in late 2021, IIJA is the Biden administration's outline for "building a better America," according to the Federal Transit Administration.

IIJA supports the rebuild of roads, bridges and rails and upgrades and expands public transit. The bipartisan law modernizes the nation's ports and airports, tackles the climate crisis and advances environmental justice.

It invests in "communities that have too often been left behind," said the White House. "It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably to help everyone get ahead for decades to come."

In announcing Biden's FY2025 proposal to its members, ARTBA pointed out that the president's proposed budget "is rarely acted on by Congress."

However, the proffered budget "serves as the annual starting gun in the race to get spending bills done by the start of the new fiscal year," said the association.

Pointing out that Congress has failed to meet that goal, ARTBA officials said the organization will work to ensure full IIJA funding by Sept. 30 of this year.

The White House said that the proposal continues its goal of implementing the president's agenda of investing in America.

"The budget provides a total of $78.4 billion for highway, highway safety and transit formula programs," said the fed.

This amount supports monies authorized for year four of the bipartisan infrastructure law, the White House noted.

It also "reflects an additional $9.5 billion … for bridge replacement and rehabilitation (and) EV charging infrastructure," said the fed.

The president "called for full funding of core federal surface transportation and airport capital investment programs at previously authorized levels," said ARTBA.

The association noted that the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget sets $61.2 billion for federal highway programs. ARTBA said when combined with the IIJA's previous $9.5 billion, it brings total core highway capital investment to $71.6 billion.

"This would be an $800 million increase over IIJA-approved funding levels," said ARTBA, adding that the increase would be seen in grant programs.

Capital investment grant program resources would total $4 billion for transit construction. That adds $2.4 billion in FY 2025 appropriations to the $1.6 billion earmarked in IIJA spending. Grants totaling $8.4 billion would go to improving airport facilities including runways, taxiways and terminals.

"The funds are from a $3.4 billion budget request, combined with advance appropriations of $5 billion from the IIJA," said ARTBA.

The budget also includes an administration call for congress to allow states and localities to use core transit and highway resources for transit operating costs.

"The same request was made in FY 2024, but was ultimately rejected by lawmakers," said ARTBA.

Building On Momentum

Pete Buttigieg said Biden's budget allows the industry to continue advancing "vital" work under way across the country.

That is making travel safer on every mode of transportation, said the USDOT secretary.

"The budget protects and builds on progress," strengthening supply chains to keep costs down and modernizing infrastructure," said Buttigieg. "Americans are already seeing the roads being repaired, new bus and bike infrastructure being built, goods moving more smoothly from ships to shelves."

President Biden's proposed budget, which requests $109.3 billion for DOT, will accelerate all of this progress, he added.

The budget sets aside $21.8 billion for the FAA, including funding to continue the air traffic controller hiring and training surge.

"With funding, the FAA has a plan to hire at least 2,000 new controllers in order to meet growing air travel demand into the future," said Buttigieg.

The agency also will invest $3.6 billion to sustain the National Airspace System, and $8 billion over five years in aviation safety, efficiency and facilities.

The budget would "crack down on a corporate jet funding loophole," said the DOT secretary.

He said the budget takes "a critical step" to stabilize funding for the National Airspace "which has largely been funded by commercial air passengers."

Commercial passengers currently pay a 7.5 percent tax on tickets plus a passenger facility charge up to $4.50, he said.

"Meanwhile, private jet users only pay fuel surcharge taxes" of roughly 22 cents a gallon.

And private jets make up 7 percent of flights handled by FAA while contributing only .6 percent of the taxes in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund.

"The president's FY2025 Budget proposes a phased-in fuel fee increase to $1.06 per gallon for private jets," said Buttigieg.

Phased in over five years, this fuel fee increase would be the first update seen in decades, he said.

The proposed budget would improve roads and ensure the most important U.S. bridges remain safe and operational, he added.

He said after "decades of disinvestment," Biden's budget would give $62 billion to FHWA to modernize and improve roads and bridges.

That money also would support state safety programs and help communities complete infrastructure projects.

"This is an increase of more than 30 percent compared to 2021," said Buttigieg, including another $675 million for the Bridge Investment Program.

The addition will mean "the department can award more communities the funding to advance critical transportation projects and create good-paying jobs," he said. "In total, the resident's bipartisan infrastructure law invests a record $40 billion to fix thousands of our nation's bridges."

Rail safety and passenger rail would be increased and improved with the $3.2 billion earmarked for the federal railroad administration.

The money would go to improving the safety and condition of railroad infrastructure and rail services that move freight and passengers, said Buttigieg.

"This includes $2.5 billion for Amtrak and increasing safety inspector staffing to a record 400 inspectors and adding new staff dedicated to safety audits."

The budget also would fund reliable, safe and accessible transit, said Buttigieg.

In fact, $16.8 billion would go to the FTA to support urban and rural transit service. That includes $2.4 billion in grants for major capital projects.

"Other portions of the budget request will strengthen supply chains at our nation's ports," said the DOT secretary.

That includes an $80 million investment in the Port Infrastructure Development Program. It also includes additional support for shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway, for pipeline safety inspections and innovation and emerging technologies.

The budget achieves "meaningful deficit reduction through measures that cut wasteful spending and ask the wealthy to pay their fair share," said Buttigieg.

Vitamin Boost for Transit

The president's proposal to congress boosts transit projects across the country. Buttigieg has included $4 billion for 14 projects in 11 states in the ask.

The federal support will come through the FTA capital investment grants and expedited project delivery pilot programs, according to the agency.

"The subway systems, commuter rail, light rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit projects will bring about transformative change in their communities."

This, by providing transit opportunities to new riders, will create jobs and jumpstart economic development, he added.

"The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded nearly $100 billion from the IIJA to support transit agencies of all sizes."

Buttigieg touted the funding, saying when transit reaches more people and communities its impact is greater.

"The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to support funding for 14 large projects that will expand transit for millions of Americans across the country."

Veronica Vanterpool, acting FTA administrator, said the investments support Biden's commitment to combat climate change.

They also improve safety, advance equity and improve quality of life for Americans, she added.

Seven of the 14 projects would receive funding for the first time while others already are under construction or are far enough along to receive a grant.

FTA also outlined several proposed provisions to increase access to and effectiveness of federal funds across American communities.

The agency would support equity in rural and tribal areas by waiving the match required in the applicable grants programs. It also would waive the match requirement for tribal applicants to the buses and bus facilities and low and no-emission competitive programs.

The proposed budget would "address the fiscal cliff" by allowing use of urbanized area formula funds and FHWA flex funds for urban operating assistance. It would empower local authorities by enabling transit agencies to purchase property outside an existing transit corridor falling in line with FHWA policies.

The budget would unlock micromobility systems by allowing grantees to fund shared systems, such as bicycles and scooters, to connect transit stations.

Finally, it would lower bus costs and speed up delivery by authorizing FTA to encourage delivery of low- and no-emission buses.

Which means there's something for the EPA to smile about as well in the proposed budget which achieves meaningful deficit reduction, said Michael Regan, EPA administrator.

The proposal bolsters the agency's efforts by investing nearly $1.5 billion in justice-related programs and the budget prioritizes combatting climate change with the urgency that science demands, he said.

And it provides $1.5 billion for the Office of Air and Radiation to develop policies and programs that control air pollution and radiation exposure. CEG

Hartford mixed-income housing project gets $5 million in state funding to build 50 more units

Emily DiSalvo

HARTFORD — The redevelopment of the now-demolished Bowles Park apartments in Hartford's Blue Hills neighborhood will enter its fourth stage with the help of $5 million in state funding.

At the site of the old Bowles Park, a 410-unit state housing complex, sits Willow Creek, a mixed-income housing facility with several community amenities. The most recent round of the Community Investment Fund grant money will help develop 50 additional affordable rental units as well as infrastructure improvements.

"The Community Investment Fund is allowing the next phase of Willow Creek to move forward to get more Hartford families access to the quality housing they are looking for," Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said in a statement. 

CIF plans to provide $875 million to eligible municipalities and nonprofits within them by 2030. The eligible municipalities are "historically underserved."

The initial phases of the Willow Creek development resulted in 135 units of mixed-income, affordable housing. But in the application to the CIF, the developers stated that the demolition of Bowles Park had created an affordability gap. They cited a wait list 4,500 families long for housing options.

Willow Creek is a public-private partnership. The Hartford Housing Authority owns the land occupied by the first 135 units and several acres of the site remain vacant for additional phases of construction. The developer for the project is Overlook Development and the property is managed by Imagineers.

Matthew Pugliese, deputy commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said while this isn't the first phase of the Willow Creek project, it is the first phase funded by CIF funds.

He also said that in addition to the 50 new units, the $5 million from CIF this round will help put infrastructure in place to help lay the groundwork for future phases resulting in 130 more units.

These infrastructure improvements include new roads, sidewalks, parking spaces, retention area, and utilities. The upgrades will also include solar panels.

Ritter called Willow Creek a "model for housing developments in Hartford."

"When I visited the first phase back in 2019, I was struck by the community feel," Ritter said. 

Unlike Bowles Park, which was a 1950s-era complex made of square brick buildings with bars over the lower windows, Willow Creek resembles a neighborhood with homes of various sizes, colors, and shapes. The lawns are well-manicured and there are sidewalks connecting the units. 

The work at Willow Creek closely mirrors progress at The Village at Park River, which was created after the demolition of Westbrook Village, a similarly outdated affordable housing complex. 

Developers at The Village at Park River previously said that their goal was to move away from the "barrack-style" public housing of the past and create a community.

The transformation of a 1928 building into new Farmington Town Hall is underway

Natasha Sokoloff

FARMINGTON — For so many townspeople, the 1928-era building at Farmington High School is a landmark, a structure whose walls safeguard the memories of generations of residents.

So, when the prospect of destruction loomed over the oldest section of the original high school, local residents wouldn't let the building's history be reduced to rubble.

"They're like, 'Wow, this has been our icon, a center focus of town.' When you see it, you know, when you drive up the hill, that building's always going to be there," said Town Council Chairman Joseph Capodiferro. "And now to think that the possibility of destroying it ... People are talking about, what can we do to try to repurpose that building?"

And in an April 2023 referendum, voters decided the fate of the nearly 100-year-old building, with an overwhelming consensus to save and renovate it.

Now, what was once classrooms for generations of youth is being transformed into Farmington's brand new Town Hall, a multimillion dollar project currently underway and on track for completion in fall 2025.

“We had the chance and now we're doing it," said Capodiferro, who also serves on the town's 1928 Building Committee. "To preserve a piece of our history, repurpose it, and to still be proud of it."

For years, space has been an issue at the current Town Hall, Capodiferro said. Many departments are spread out in different buildings, and past efforts to find a new place have failed, he said.

But through this project, the building will become what Capodiferro refers to as a "one-stop shop" for town staff and residents, with all municipal functions consolidated into one location.

And when the rest of the existing high school is demolished this summer for the new Farmington High School, which will be adjacent to it, renovation will take place on the 1928 building.

"Doing this project in conjunction with the new Farmington High School project will result in cost savings and efficiencies with the site work, utilities, paving, and landscaping work," according to the 1928 Building Committee website. "It was determined that if the 1928 Building is to remain from a financial and structural standpoint, both projects should be done in conjunction with one another."

As for the existing Town Hall at 1 Monteith Drive, that will become the Town Hall Annex, providing space for community use, social service programs, additional town storage, and an expanded Regional Probate Court, according to the website. Proposed plans for the new Town Hall include the addition of a new entrance with a secure vestibule and reception area, and municipal offices on each floor.

Although the total project cost is $16 million, Farmington taxpayers will be responsible for about $9 million of the cost, offset by the use of $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to town officials.

The 1928 building renovation already has Plan and Zoning approval and is currently in the last phase of design, and the 1928 Building Committee anticipates putting this project out to bid later this spring, according to town officials.

Town Engineer Russ Arnold anticipates finalizing architectural specifications and plans by the end of April. With about a year and a half for construction, that puts the completion date somewhere around September or October of next year, he said.

“We have the ability now to take something that meant a lot to a population of people and repurpose it for a different use without losing it,” Capodiferro said. “It's a gorgeous building and I couldn't imagine driving by that area now, looking up, and not seeing that."

And the building won't just serve a municipal purpose.

Because part of the structure was originally the gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium, that two-story space will be converted into multipurpose recreational space and classroom studio for various recreation programs, restoring it back to its original use as a gymnasium, according to town officials.

The gym space will not be a regulation basketball court but can be used for the town’s youth basketball program. The gym space can also be used for pickleball, volleyball, badminton, or other recreational programs, according to town officials.

Even in its renovated state, the 1928 Building Committee is committed to retaining the history and beauty of the building, focusing restoration efforts on its exterior as well as the cupola, according to town officials.

“We are trying to keep to the aesthetic look that it has today and when it was built,” Capodiferro said. “The only thing that you'll see differently will be on the backside of it, where the new entrance will be.”

Essentially, the only new part of the building is going to be the entrance, with a storefront doorway and patio entryway, on the northwest corner of the building, Arnold said. 

"Everything else is going to remain brick and mortar," he said, adding that residents need not fear losing the building's limestone coping.

And while the project is underway, local residents themselves have the chance to become a part of the building's history through the recently announced Buy a Brick Fundraiser, in which townspeople can buy and engrave a brick for the main entrance of the renovated building. Funds go toward the Stephen A. Flis Scholarship, dedicated to the former town manager and established for students pursuing a career in public service.

Small, medium, large: Options for East Lyme Community Center upgrades run the gamut

Elizabeth Regan

East Lyme ― A vision for the aging Community Center laid out by a team of specialists in architecture, landscape design and community engagement has given the Board of Selectmen a lot to consider as it weighs what the community wants against how much taxpayers can afford to pay.

Consultant Brian Cleveland, of Brian Cleveland Architects, on Wednesday presented the feasibility study he was hired to produce with $38,000 in federal pandemic relief funding.

Three options, costing an estimated $8.3 million to $17.5 million, represent what he described as “varying degrees of expansion or renovation” to the building built almost 35 years ago on Society Road.

The 61-page report described “a prospective vision” and program options that will need to be analyzed going forward.

First Selectman Dan Cunningham called the document a conversation starter.

“I think we have a lot to look at,” he said.

For Selectwoman Candice Carlson, it was a wish list.

“How are we going to pay for it?” she asked, referencing a budgeting priority of Cunningham’s that prioritizes needs over wants. “There’s a lot of wants in here.”

Cleveland identified replacement of the original roof and more accessibility for those with disabilities among the most pressing needs.

The lowest-priced option would reconfigure the layout of the building and update the grounds. The middle option, coming in at $11.1 million, would add a second floor over the library. The most expensive option would include everything in the first two options, plus the construction of a freestanding field house with interior basketball courts and an exterior climbing wall.

The small, medium and large options would expand the 35,085-square-foot building to 39,140 square feet, 45,800 square feet and 60,776 square feet, respectively.

The concepts are based on priorities expressed in meetings with department heads and focus groups of seniors, library patrons and teens. Jade Esplin of the New York-based Margaret Sullivan Studio said the main themes everyone agreed upon involve enhanced outdoor space, more room for events and lectures, and small meeting rooms where the town’s social service providers can meet with clients.

There was also a focus on forging “intergenerational connections” within the building that includes the senior center, youth center and library. One popular request was for a cafe Esplin said would serve as a “casual spot for all generations to meet up, grab a cup of coffee and hang out.”

All three options propose a cafe be located in the shared lobby area as “a central gathering hub” for the community.

Aris Stalis of Aris Land Studios pitched outdoor concepts that range from open spaces to play, gather and garden in the lowest-cost option to a covered stage and a greenhouse in the most expensive plan.

It also includes what Stalis characterized as the most important elements of the outdoor plan: the safety considerations inherent in new pedestrian paths and parking configuration.

“If anything, one of the things that really needs to be addressed is creating a series of walkways from the schools,” he said of neighboring Lillie B. Haynes School and East Lyme Middle School. “We have crosswalks, then it’s just like ‘alright, go anywhere.’”

He also reconfigured the parking lot with spaces perpendicular to the building, which he said makes room for about a dozen more vehicles and is more safe to walk through.

Planning ahead

East Lyme Public Library Executive Director Lisa Timothy told selectmen there’s less dedicated library space in the base option than it has currently.

“$8 million for less space would be problematic,” she said.

The report said 14,340 square feet currently allocated to the library would decrease to 13,852 square feet in the first option. The third option would expand the library’s area to 17,764 square feet.

“Something’s got to give here,” she said. “I’m reasonable. $17 million is a lot. But I think we can think outside the box and use this as a starting point to start discussing priorities and how to adapt some of this into something that’s beneficial for the whole community.”

The library is currently seeking input from residents through a survey as part of its strategic planning process.

Timothy pointed to $2 million in state grant funding for libraries that could be used for the renovation, as well as federal grant money that could be used for space dedicated to the exhibition and storage of Nehantic tribal artifacts being acquired by the East Lyme Historical Society.

Senior Center Director Kristen Caramanica said her department could also bring in grant funding for the project.

Selectwoman Rose Ann Hardy emphasized the importance of having a vision to help guide planning in the near and long term.

“It’s not just (about) what we need, but thinking ahead to our grandchildren,” she said. “Thinking about what we want our community to be like.”

It’s a conversation that has to happen “before the roof falls in,” according to Hardy.

“Then we have to do it,” she said of the building project. “And what’s been damaged in the meantime?”