We’re in the early stages of evaluating a new facility in Harrison Park, just in front of the Doug Will Tennis Center. Originally, we were planning for the facility to address four main needs:
- A place for our citizens to walk in the wintertime,
- An indoor facility for basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, and other activities,
- Restrooms which would be accessible from Harrison Park and the adjacent Lawn Party Grounds, and
- Better climate control for the tennis center, so that it might be more comfortable when outside temperatures are very warm or very cold.
In our planning process, however, we discovered some things which helped us refine our plan. For example, the USDA advised us that it might be able to finance the project on favorable terms if the facility could serve as a true community center. Accordingly, we are working to include additional functionality in the building. We have instructed the architects to design a building which can also
- Host large groups for wedding receptions, job fairs, medical screenings, and the like,
- Accommodate trade shows of various types as are so often hosted by the Augusta Expo,
- Serve as a hub for our very successful summer camp program for children (and even allow us to expand it both in terms of participants and duration), and
- Provide emergency shelter to people displaced by flooding or other natural disasters.
With its expanded purpose, we are describing the building as the “Convocation Hall,” and we think it can make Bridgewater an even better place to live. It will be quite a while before Council makes any final decision on the project, but we would like to hear from you now! If you’re interested in learning more, we’ll be hosting an informal forum on Tuesday, December 5, at 6:30 pm in Town Hall at 201 Green Street to answer any questions you have.