Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dorchester Community Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council backs design work for Dorchester Community Center’s Phase 1 after feasibility study
Summary
La Plata council authorized staff to advance architectural design for Phase 1 of the proposed Dorchester Community Center — a roughly 7,600-square-foot gym/multipurpose building — and to issue an operator RFP after consultants confirmed site feasibility and staff identified $1.25 million in state grants, leaving a funding gap to be analyzed.
Mayor Janini James and the Town Council voted May 12 to direct staff to proceed with design and preliminary site preparation for Phase 1 of the Dorchester Community Center at 402 Potomac St.
Town Manager Chuck Stevens and consultants from Cao Barrett and Patuxent Architects told the council a feasibility study shows the approximately 2.1-acre development site can accommodate a phased community center. Consultants described a three-phase approach: Phase 1 (about 7,600 square feet) would deliver a gymnasium/multipurpose assembly; Phase 2 (about 1,900 square feet) would provide entry control and lounge space; and Phase 3 (roughly 7,500 square feet) would add community support spaces and potential daycare.
Consultants said the property is currently zoned Industrial High (IH), which does not allow a community center by right; rezoning to a Central Business (CB) or a discretionary land-use approval will be required. They reported the site benefits from existing public water and sewer and is technically suitable for demolition and new construction. "There is a high level of success for this project from a technical feasibility standpoint," consultant Anthony M. Alexander said during the presentation.
On costs, staff and consultants offered planning-level estimates, including a soft-cost allowance of about 20–25 percent for design, engineering and permitting. The rough order-of-magnitude budget presented: Phase 1 approximately $3.12 million; Phase 2 approximately $870,000; Phase 3 approximately $2.17 million; full single-story buildout about $6.1 million. Consultants recommended advancing design promptly to protect a time-limited state grant opportunity.
Stevens told council the town has secured about $1.25 million in state grant funding (plus a $100,000 ARPA allocation noted in staff materials) that could be applied to Phase 1, and warned the earliest grant(s) include expiration timelines. "One of the critical deadlines is a grant that is scheduled to expire in June of next year," he said. Staff will prepare a funding-gap analysis, pursue additional grant opportunities and return to council with financial projections before committing to construction contracts.
Council members supported moving Phase 1 forward while reserving judgment on Phases 2 and 3 until funding is identified. Several members asked that the Phase 1 design be viable as a stand-alone, operational facility. Consultants said the build can operate while later phases are added and that combining phases can yield economies of scale, but that Phase 1 has been designed to function independently.
Council also asked staff to issue a formal RFP for facility operations, targeting nonprofit or community-based operators. Stevens said responses to an earlier notice-of-intent showed a healthy applicant pool that includes youth-mentoring organizations, workforce/technology education providers and social-service partners with local ties.
The council’s authorization directs staff to advance design and engineering services for Phase 1, initiate an operator procurement process, and return with a funding-gap analysis and an integrated timeline before any construction contract is executed.
