Stafford Center requests $1.4 million in capital work; board approves adding request to 2025–26 budget

The Stafford Economic Development Corporation on June 24 heard detailed capital and operations requests for the Stafford Center and voted to add the center’s funding request to the FY2025–26 budget.

Brian Blum, president of FM Squared, told the board the center needs a major roof replacement and listed other capital items and an umbrella reserve for repairs. “We’re requesting $1,100,000 for roof replacement,” Blum said, explaining contractors recommended a white membrane system that can be installed over the existing roof and that one higher-grade option would add about $69,000 but extend warranties and expected life. Blum also summarized smaller recurring and one‑time requests: a five‑year office-computer replacement line of roughly $20,000; an annual painting allowance of $25,000; theater equipment including a mixing console that would remove a frequent rental cost for visiting promoters; and a $125,000 umbrella capital line for HVAC, kitchen equipment and other major repairs.

Blum gave the board a broader budget figure for the center’s requests, saying, “I felt like asking for $1,405,000 this year.” He framed the major priorities as the roof and life-safety items such as roof hatches that serve theater rigging and smoke/toxic-venting systems.

Board members raised questions about the proposed capital work’s interaction with a larger Stafford Center master‑planning effort. Blum said proposed expansion work would be largely independent of the roof replacement because planned expansion would involve a separate roof structure over Festival Field 2. He recommended moving forward with the roof regardless of the expansion timeline: “We really don’t have the luxury of waiting,” he said.

Council and staff members also discussed the condition and purpose of the center’s generator. Blum and other staff said the existing, original generator can run lighting and limited outlets but cannot carry chillers; replacing it with a generator and the accompanying electrical upgrades that would support HVAC loads could cost more than $1 million for the generator alone, plus roughly $250,000–$300,000 in internal electrical work. Blum said the city has been pursuing grant opportunities for generator funding and that the generator is being maintained but is more than 20 years old.

Board members pressed staff on potential revenue gains from capital investments. Blum said installing a permanent, in‑house mixing/sound console and other theater improvements reduces the need for visiting promoters to rent equipment and could make the facility more competitive for acts. He also described interest in an LED stage wall; depending on size, Blum estimated an LED wall could cost about $125,000 with an estimated 4–5 year payback.

After discussion, a board member moved to add the Stafford Center’s request to the FY2025–26 budget. The motion was seconded and the board voted in favor; the meeting minutes record the motion as carried.

Why this matters: the Stafford Center is a city-owned, revenue-generating facility. The board’s action authorizes staff to include the center’s capital and operating requests in next year’s budget process; spending and procurement steps will follow council approval and applicable public-notice requirements.

The board did not vote on specific contracts, vendor awards or construction scopes at the meeting; staff said detailed procurement, cost refinements and potential grant applications would come back to the board and to City Council before work begins.