Westborough charrette presents preferred community-center design; residents press for larger event space, different elevator placement and better veteran access

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Town officials and architects presented a preferred design for a community center at Bay State Commons and invited hands‑on feedback at a public charrette, where residents urged changes on several recurring points.

Town Manager Christy Williams opened the session and said the town purchased the 64,000‑square‑foot Bay State Commons property after the annual town meeting vote and is pursuing a “robust public engagement process” to refine the design. “This is the charrette step,” Williams said, asking participants to work in small groups and record comments for architects and staff to consider.

Jeremy, one of the architects on the BH+A team, described the preferred scheme as Option 4: the 1st floor would host the senior center, the 2nd floor would retain recreation uses including the existing pool and gym, and a central connecting stair and elevator would allow people to move between floors without going outside. “So that anybody from the senior center who will be going to programs on the 2nd Floor will be able to easily get upstairs without having to go outside,” Jeremy said.

But the central elevator and stair drew sustained pushback. Multiple tables raised safety, circulation and noise concerns about placing elevator access through the walking track and gym. One table asked whether the elevator could be relocated “closer to an existing staircase” to avoid disrupting walkers and programming.

The size and flexibility of the multipurpose room was the most frequently repeated concern. Reporters from several tables said the proposed multipurpose room was smaller than the town’s current event needs; one participant recalled a recent 120‑person event and said the new room should accommodate tables, a band, a dance area and buffet service. Participants asked that the larger central future‑build‑out space be finished or reconfigured so it can serve as overflow for elections and larger events.

Veterans’ access and noise isolation also featured prominently. Multiple tables said the veterans’ lounge as shown felt disconnected at the rear of the building and sits below the basketball court, risking noise transfer. A resident who identified himself as a veterans’ advocate said local veterans rely on community space and noted the town’s VFW hall is “not even able to be used at all” because of structural problems.

Younger attendees asked for dedicated teen space. “As a teenager myself … we just end up kind of walking around town as opposed to, you know, going to any certain spot,” a teen participant said, urging a room where teens can study, make videos and gather without being shushed.

Other recurring items included requests for more storage near program rooms and lockers, an accessible pool lift for swimmers with disabilities, acoustical improvements beneath the gym and walking track, and clarity on who would operate a proposed cafe or gift shop (volunteers, hired staff or partnerships with disability programs were all suggested). Several tables also recommended that areas such as a lounge or library be kept publicly accessible without fees at certain hours to reinforce the center’s community role.

Staff and the design team said they would collect table notes and drawings as the record of the meeting and fold feedback into the next design revision. Williams encouraged anyone with additional comments to contact her office and said the architects will present the updated preferred design to the select board after additional meetings, including a repeat charrette at the senior center the next day and a select‑board meeting the following evening.

The charrette yielded no formal votes; architects and staff will consider tonight’s comments as they revise the preferred option ahead of select‑board review and the town’s fall meeting in October.