Exeter has big plans for new 'quintessential multigenerational community center'

EXETER — The town is moving forward in its plans to retrofit a building that Parks and Recreation Director Greg Bisson said will become a “quintessential multigenerational community center.”

Bisson told the Select Board Monday that the committee overseeing the new Parks and Recreation building at 10 Hampton Road has selected Hampshire Development Corp. as the contractor responsible for designing and renovating the approximately 6,000-square-foot facility.

The project, which has a budget of $920,840, will be funded through a combination of the Community Center Investment Program grant from the state and $80,000 in matching funds allocated by the town.

Bisson said they selected Hampshire Development Corp. because they have a proven track record. They have worked on the Hampton Falls Library, Kingston police station and had done previous work on historical buildings in Exeter.

“One thing that really stood out for us for HDC was their real commitment to making this a real community project coming in under budget,” he said.

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Why was a new Parks and Recreation building needed?

In 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved the $1.15 million purchase of 10 Hampton Road in what Bisson called “an opportunity we’ll only get once.” Aside from the 6,000-square-foot structure, also formerly known as the Qessential building, the purchase also comes with a standalone garage, all on 1.64 acres of land.

Bisson said the new property is an ideal location for the department, highlighting the lack of space in the current building at 32 Court St. He added that having a facility adjacent to the Recreation Park at 4 Hampton Road will help alleviate the high parking demand, which he said has been a "challenge."

The new property, he said, will meet the needs of Parks and Recreation for decades. He said the building features 15 offices, a renovated kitchen, two bathrooms on each floor, two large multipurpose rooms, a lobby and a copy room.

“One of the requirements for the grant that we got is that we have to make it ADA accessible,” he said. “We also have to try to improve energy efficiency. We’re going to try to update as much as possible and then also look at expanding programming spaces. We’ve taken down a couple of walls already."

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What’s planned for the new ‘multigenerational community center’?

Bisson said the town had allocated around $100,000 for minor improvements to the building to create a space for the department to move into.

The building, he said, will allow them to expand programming spaces, including three ADA-accessible ones on the first floor.

It will also add 45 parking spaces to the area with the possibility of adding more in the future.

“We’re going to make it as multigenerational as possible,” explained Bisson. “One of the dedicated spaces will be a senior lounge for those who want to come in just to socialize, and we’ll run programs. But we’ll also try to run other kids programs during that time as well because that will allow us to mix the generations.”

With the new building located adjacent to the Recreation Park, Bisson said it will also be “handy” during summer camps.

“Especially like this summer was brutally hot, so possibly rotating the kids there eventually to cool them off if need be… but also in the rain, especially if it’s a quick moving thunderstorm,” he added. “This would give us space to kind of spread them out, put them in there under shelter, and then send them back out.”

Bisson said the final design of the building and demo will begin in September, with a completion date of June next year.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Exeter has big plans for new 'quintessential multigenerational community center'