Community Center project at the starting blocks in fast lane

By ARCHIE MOUNTAIN
NEWPORT — The Newport Community Center project is now at the starting blocks in the fast lane with proposals in hand to share with the public following action taken Monday night by the Newport Board of Selectmen.

Following a 45-minute presentation, the board voted 5-0 to retain the Bread Loaf Corporation of Middlebury, Vt., to move ahead with the project, a new Community Center, in the upcoming months

“It would be nice to bring this to the town meeting deliberative session in April for a vote,” said board chairman Jeff Kessler.

Between now and then, however, there is much groundwork to be done by the selectmen, working with the public, before any final recommendations are made.

“We want to give the public every opportunity to ask all their questions and make suggestions,” Kessler stressed. “This looks like a very tight schedule.”

At the outset of the project, the selectmen came up with a figure of $7 million for the entire project. However, any final bond request could be reduced depending on grants available and donations. According to material furnished by the Middlebury firm, the final budget will be influenced by size of the project and quality.

Bread Loaf provides planning, design, preconstruction and construction services to clients throughout Vermont, Northern New England and Northeastern New York.

Utilizing the skills of our multi-disciplinary team, we work with each client to plan, design and construct buildings that have a positive impact on the community and natural environment, while maximizing short and long-term cost savings, according to company literature.

Bread Loaf was selected to lead the project forward following its earlier presentation before the 12-member Community Center Committee, which has been in place for the past year.

The committee trimmed the eight applicants down to four, interviewed that group and ended up recommending Bread Loaf.

At the annual town meeting Newport earlier this year, voters approved a request for $200,000 to cover the cost of getting the design/build portion of the plan off the ground.

Bread Loaf was low bidder for Phase 1 at $129,800.

In its approach to working with Newport, the Middlebury firm will evaluate a feasibility study, develop a conceptual design, confirm budget and schedule and work towards a successful bond vote.

The Bread Loaf proposed location concepts featured three sketches of which two show Rowell-Caplan Field remaining in its present location, across Meadow Road from the high school baseball field.

For the community center itself, a 2018 planning study program includes a building with 29,601 gross square feet including a gymnasium of 10,000 square feet. The second total gross area with potential program adjustments dropped the footage to 19,500 square feet.

Based on these two plans, the areas that did not change included lobby/vestibule, 1,000 sf; director’s office, 175 sf; seating/circulation, 1,500 sf; public group toilet rooms, 600 sf; multi purpose storage room, 400 sf; gymnasium storage, 400 sf; fitness room storage, 200 square feet; equipment storage, 500 sf and mechanical room 200 sf.

Suggested areas where program adjustments might be made with the new number listed second included offices/reception, 700 sf, 250 sf; conference/meeting room, 800 sf

500 sf; multipurpose classroom 800 sf, 500 sf; multipurpose room, 2,150 sf, 1,500 sf; gymnasium, 10,000 sf, 9,000 sf; game room multipurpose, 1,050 sf, 500 sq; gymnasium, 10,000 sf, 9,000 sf; game room (billiards), 1,050 sf, game room, multipurpose, 500 sf;

fitness room, 475 sf, 0 sf; concessions, 300 sf, 200 sf; single used HC unisex (shower), 270 sf, 100 sf; locker rooms with toilets, 1,000 sf, 2,000 sf; multipurpose classroom storage, 125 sf, 0 sf; janitor’s closet, 125 sf, 20 sf.

During Monday’s presentation it was pointed out that Bread Loaf is one source of responsibility dealing with both design and build process.

The proposed gymnasium calls for 8,736 square feet with bleacher seating for 300 spectators. The current gymnasium at the Newport Community Center has a wall-to-wall size of 4,300 square feet.

After the Bread Loaf presentation by Jim Pulver, vice president of architecture, and John Dale, project architect, Selectman Todd Fratzel asked if there would be an opportunity for local contractors to be hired during the building process.

“We would want to know what people are on your list, if they are qualified and have insurance, Pulver responded.

He said Bread Loaf workers typically do about10 percent of the actual building work. “We will install doors and hardware at the end,” Pulver responded.

He told the selectmen that Bread Loaf has done more than 300 of these integrated projects.

Fratzel said the committee was very impressed at the options to save the Little League field. “The group was really impressed,” he said.