Norwalk staff seek roughly $2.5 million to finish renovation of 90 South Main community center

Norwalk City staff on Wednesday asked the Planning & Zoning Commission to refer a special appropriation to the Common Council to cover a remaining shortfall on renovation and an addition at 90 South Main Street, the former community center the city now wholly owns.

Alan (city staff) told commissioners the project is funded from several sources — federal ARPA funds, HUD, state DECD funds, GGP receipts and local debt — but bids ran higher than expected and value engineering left a remaining funding gap. "We are short about $2,500,000," Alan said, adding the city found roughly $1,100,000 in value-engineering savings but still needs the additional appropriation to move forward.

Why it matters: The project would remake the building and add a gym and program space the city intends to operate as a full-service recreation facility. Alan said the city has already agreed to a partial guaranteed maximum price (GMP) with a contractor and must commit certain grant funds or risk losing them. "This project is currently funded as a multiple funding source," he said, naming ARPA, HUD and DECD as contributors.

Commissioners pressed staff on operating plans, capacity and whether spending the additional appropriation would increase city debt. Robert Stoller of Recreation described staffing and programming plans, saying the facility will open in spring 2026 and the department has budgeted part-time and contract instructor funds now while relying on existing personnel to operate early programs. "We have a manager that will actually manage the facility in our current budget," Stoller said. He described a full-size high school gym, three community rooms and space for arts, fitness and youth programs.

Commissioners also asked about specific scope reductions made during value engineering. Alan said the project team removed some AV and kitchen equipment from the contractor’s scope to reduce bid premiums; the city preserved infrastructure for teaching kitchens and intends to buy movable equipment directly later. "There's still gonna be a recording studio. It's just not being paid for by the engineers and the architects and all that," Stoller said.

Procedure and timing: Alan told the commission the planning referral was a step in a schedule that includes a finance committee review and a Common Council vote the following week; construction work is expected to begin in February and the city estimates roughly a year of construction. The commission voted to refer the special appropriation; staff will bring the final appropriation and related contract items to finance and council as planned.

The commission requested continued clarity on operating costs and contingency use as the project proceeds. Planning staff said the city will use residual capital funds from a completed Cranberry School project to cover the appropriation so the request does not add new long-term debt, a point Alan emphasized. "It's not additional debt for the city. It's previous approved money," he said.

The commission’s favorable referral moves the item to the Finance Committee and Common Council for final action.