Barrington may get $1 million in federal funds via NH for new community center

BARRINGTON — Gov. Chris Sununu's bid to direct $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to Barrington is poised to help the town move forward with a project to construct a new community center.

Barrington Town Administrator Conner McIver said town officials are excited about plans to move the library out of the Ramsdell Lane location it shares with the town's Recreation Department, clearing the space to create a new and expanded community center.

Sununu last week announced he is asking the Fiscal Committee to authorize $3,341,299 in additional funding to five New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority community centers and thanked lawmakers for their advocacy on behalf of these funds.

A decision from the fiscal committee is expected Friday, May 17. Among the allocations are $1 million for the Barrington community center project.

How Barrington plans to create new community center

"This is a project to renovate the recreation/library building at 105 Ramsdell Lane," McIver said. "The new library passed at Town Meeting (in March). Recreation will expand into the vacated space, and the building will be turned into a more traditional community center."

McIver said residents approved $300,000 in funding and there is $150,000 in funding from the town's Recreation Revolving Fund. If the federal funds via the state come through, the result will be a $1.45 million budget for the new community center.

Barrington's growth creates demand for expanded community center and programs

McIver said the current community center facility was built in 1972 when Barrington’s population was 1,865. In 2023, the population was over 9,500.

"Our community desperately needs these community center improvements," he said. "This community campus provides all residents a place to gather, get help, collaborate, learn, play, grow, and much more. This site is optimal to support collaboration and shared resources within the community campus. The community center will be a place for the Recreation Department, food pantry, Community Action Partnership, Barrington Childcare Collaborative, Early Childhood Learning Center, and others to reach community members in ways that is not currently possible."

"The Barrington Recreation Department is set to undergo a transformative change with the governor’s support for a $1 million in funding earmarked for upgrading its community center," said Barrington Recreation Director Jessica Tennis. "The timing couldn't be more perfect as the local library prepares for relocation, leaving behind a space in need of revitalization."

Tennis said the planned upgrades promise to modernize facilities but also to significantly expand the scope of recreational offerings.

"By facilitating simultaneous programming, the expansion will cater to diverse interests across generations, fostering a tighter-knit community and maximizing the utilization of resources," she said. "This initiative emphasizes Barrington Recreation’s commitment to fostering connectivity, enriching communal resources, while expanding multi-generational engagement and promising a brighter, more vibrant future for all residents. The Recreation Department looks forward to this opportunity and continuing to meet the needs of our residents."

Barrington voters' approval in March of a $3.6 million library bond allows the town to purchase and renovate the former Frisbie Urgent Care at 426 Calef Highway into a new library.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Barrington may get $1 million in federal funds for community center