Newtown Community Center and Senior Center Groundbreaking Today

The Town of Newtown is proud to announce that Caldwell & Walsh, construction managers, confirmed that groundbreaking for the Newtown Community Center and Senior Center is set to begin today!

The Center is being built on the Fairfield Hills Campus on Simpson Street across from the Municipal Center. The community center project represents more than two years of planning to create space that will serve as a vibrant and multi-generational hub for Newtown’s residents. After the December 14th Sandy Hook tragedy where 26 children and adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, GE generously donated $10 million towards construction as well as an additional $5million towards operational costs (to be spread across 5 years at $1 million/year).

The Town is contributing $5million towards the construction. In addition, during the April 25th 2017 budget referendum, Newtown residents approved another $3 million to build a Senior Center. The Senior Center is being added as an additional wing to the Community Center. As a result of months of research and resident input, the new 45,860 square foot building will include separate community center and senior center areas.

The community center’s facilities, totaling approximately 35,210 square feet, will meet the needs of many, if not most, residents and will include a dedicated arts & craft room, 6 multi-purpose activity rooms to accommodate activities ranging from music to group gatherings, along with a full-size kitchen, an approximately 5,000 square foot banquet room, a 6-lane 25-yard pool, a zero-entry activity pool, and outdoor connections to the surrounding area of the Fairfield Hills’ campus.

The separate senior center, representing 9,450 square feet, allows the seniors to move out of their current space in Sandy Hook. This new facility will cater to the programs and activities of the Newtown’s seniors, providing space for these programs to be enhanced and expanded to meet the growing needs.

The Community Center will be run through a new Community Center director with assistance from the quality staff from the Parks and Recreation department. A search for the director launched last month.

Oversight for the Community Center will be at the direction of a new Community Center Commission.