Wanted: Community Center
The Civic Week Ahead
Believe it or not, August marks the one year anniversary of The Ham’er. Every week I sit down and write this weekly letter to you about what I see is happening and my thoughts. I’ll write more about this milestone in a few weeks, but in the meantime I want to know: what do you want to see from this newsletter?
Have you listened to The Ham’er podcast yet? I am having a blast talking to so many neighbors who are working hard to grow our community and make Framingham a better place. We’re three episodes in, with a lot more this month. This week tune in as Anna Tucker of the Framingham History Center and I nerd out on why local history is important. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify (or other apps of your choice).
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Wanted: Community Center
Framingham put out the call for information for a potential community center: After recent conversations with the Council, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky posted an Request for Information (RFI):
“The City of Framingham is extending an open, informal invitation to landowners in the City of Framingham interested in making their land or existing building(s) available for siting a future Community Center. The City is seeking information that could potentially lead to a future Request for Proposals or partnership solicitation for this proposed new facility.”
You can read more of the RFI on the city website. The document outlines requirements, such as land size, parking, community aquatics center and field house.
Why does Framingham need a community center?: While Framingham has activities at schools, the Y, the Boys & Girls Club, various Boys & Girls Scouts troops, these facilities can only handle so many kids. For many of our youth these places and activities are out of reach due to affordability and accessibility. A community center would provide a space for our kids to gather, for mentorships, homework help, play basketball or take swimming lessons, grow in their creativity and find a safe, supportive place that isn’t home or school.
With the Keefe Tech pool broken, our swim teams scramble to find new locations for practices and meets. The Keefe pool is a huge loss.
Indoor basketball courts are limited in availability, leaving many players without a place to play and programs without a place to run their trainings and clinics.
Then there is our artist community, who scattered around the city after the Bancroft Building was sold and made into apartments. Our artist community should have a place to meet, create, teach and display their works of art. An auditorium for plays and music would be welcome.
Community centers are the heart of neighborhoods. And we really need one, or several, in Framingham.
What is the plan to pay for it?: Framingham still has $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The first round of these funds were used by the Spicer Administration to offset the water and sewer deficit. Other communities used their ARPA funds for community projects, such as Hudson with the Downtown River Walk and Newton made upgrades and accessibility improvements to their parks, beaches and playgrounds. The Sisitsky Administration signaled these funds would be used for purposes of a community center.
Here are my thoughts on what Framingham should want and strive for in a community center:
What should be at the center? I get excited thinking about the possibilities. If it were to be one location, I can see kids learning how to swim in the Olympic sized pool or competing in regional competitions. And in another area, kids are learning how to play basketball at a clinic, while in another section artwork is displayed in the hallways for all to see. I see a place full of activity. Full of support, nurturing, engagement and…community.
Breaking it down, any community center must have:
Olympic sized pool
One full basketball court (at least)
Classroom/library-like space for homework help, mentoring
Performing arts studio, stage and gallery
Community space
Where should it be located?: Our greatest need is in South Framingham where a majority of our students live. Crossing Route 9 is a barrier to access. A center must be easily accessible by walking, biking or the MWRTA. A place where kids can drop by afterschool or work. Car-centric locations, like Shopper’s World, make it hard for all to access.
What properties would be a good fit: Ultimately, I can see us with multiple centers. And in the case of this RFI, maybe we can start with spreading the $15 million at a few locations to solve problems.
Could some of the money go to Keefe to fix their pool? What about some money to Suburban Athletic for basketball court improvements? Then there are two old schools: St. Stephen's and Marian High School. Could money be given to the Boys & Girls Club, who are based in St. Stephen’s, for expansion providing more activities and homework help? And Marian has space for performing arts and classrooms. There is also the empty lot at Parcel C at Cushing, currently the mostly empty parking lot rented by MassBay. All of these potential locations are in neighborhoods, easily accessible and on MWRTA routes, too.
An exciting moment for Framingham: We hear too often there is nothing for kids to do outside of organized sports and school. It is true. Where can they go hang out and be welcomed?
Right now we’re in the middle of a mental health crisis. According to the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, half of the high schoolers who took the survey said their mental health became worse since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 42% of those kids said their anxiety was constant and nearly every day; this is up from 32% in 2018.
A community center won’t solve all of the problems, but it can be a place for a kid to find belonging, a friendly ear, an activity, or express themselves through sport or arts.
What are the next steps?: Responses to the RFI are due by August 23 at 10:00am. Additionally, Representative Priscila Sousa secured $25,000 in the state budget for a feasibility study for a community center. That money can go to study and plan for how a community center can work for Framingham and help develop a final Request For Project making this exciting opportunity a reality in the city.
What do you think? What would you like to see in a community center? Press reply and let me know!
The Civic Week Ahead
Wednesday, August 2
Thursday, August 3
7:00 PM: Sustainability Committee Agenda
New ideas like a community center are needed in Framingham. I hope this issue has you thinking about new ideas and possibilities in our city. As always, I love to hear your thoughts. Framingham is at its best when we are all working together.
Have a great rest of the week,
Mary Kate
I think that this is a wonderful idea. My family has been in Framingham for over 100 yrs, I have seen Framingham change and it's not for the good, I've seen longtime Framingham families leave and neighborhoods of days gone bye.
As a parent of a young child with ADHD these centers and clubs need to have staff with training in this area as well as other unseen disabilities. This is often forgotten about and when you fill out registration for children with disabilities that are not readily seen, the centers are not prepared. This limits the number of available programs for children with unseen disabilities to attend. They are the forgotten youth unless it is a physical disability people don't see.
When and if they do attend a program they are labeled as a trouble maker or otherwise.
This is due to the oversight of the information provided in the registration and the ability of staff to assist.
They also do not have many opportunities to engage with children that do not have disabilities.
The center also should have a conflict resolution component. So many small issues between our youth, that they turn into hateful words and physical assaults and even several people jumping a single youth.
I have never seen so much hate in Framingham. I have never seen so much disrespect to elders, teachers, parents and each other in all of my days.
I'm extremely excited for this project and the interest in our community.
Prayerfully things will get better for our Framingham and the world.
Prayerful that the center will be a success.
It takes a village, youth call it snitching, we called it we are in trouble. The neighbors told your parents if they saw you doing wrong. Your friends would think of your safety if they told on you. Right was right and wrong was wrong.
Framingham 100+ yrs strong.