After the town sought bids to expand the Bow Youth Center, some residents and town officials are now questioning whether the addition of almost half a million dollars is truly necessary.
The center, which provides before- and after-school programs for elementary and middle school students, has long faced limited storage and office space.
Currently, one classroom has been repurposed as a storage room.
Last year, the town requested bids for an addition that would provide dedicated storage and office areas, with the lowest bid coming in at $480,000 from Cobb Hill Construction of Concord.
Darcy Little, who oversees the center, said the additional space wouldn’t change the programs offered but would improve day-to-day staff operations, especially in the main office.
“I share my desk with another person. So it’s just hard when you’re trying to do a Zoom call or have a private conversation,” Little said. “So to have an office space, it would just make it a lot easier.”
For the project to move forward, it must be included as a warrant article and approved by town residents. Funding would come from a revolving fund supported by programs’ user fees, meaning taxpayers would not see an increase in costs.
But, not everyone on the select board supports putting the project to a vote at the town meeting in March.
Chris Nicolopolous, a select board member, said the $480,000 price tag for a basement office and unfinished storage space seemed excessive.
The project would span 1,248 square feet, working out to roughly $380 per square foot.
He said that the town spent $1.2 million of taxpayer money on the building with the expectation that it would generate revenue and help offset costs.
“I think we owe it to the town of Bow to replace the $1.2 million we spent on that building,” Nicolopolous said. “To be clear, adding a $480,000 storage room doesn’t add any additional revenue to the town.”
The town purchased the building in 2021, and since then, $300,000 from the revolving fund has been set aside to address issues at the community building.
Nicolopolous said he will be voting against including the addition proposal on the town warrant.
The select board does not have the authority or discretion to spend money from the revolving fund — only the town manager or the town as a whole can approve such expenditures.
Little said, aside from the cramped space at the center, preschool staff face another challenge: They store many of their materials in the back bay of the community center building.
Every month, staff make the trip back and forth to bring supplies to the center.
Mike Mayo, a resident of Bow, said he understands the need for more space but isn’t convinced that enough research has been done to justify an addition costing nearly half a million dollars.
“From my perspective, the recreation center starts out in a condition or in a category of this is a want. This is not a need,” Mayo said. “In my opinion, the name seems to be predicated on a requirement to shuttle supplies once a month back and forth from the community center to the rec center.”