Ad Hoc Community Center Advisory Committee

2023 Ad Hoc Community Center Committee

The Town Council seeks to further explore the opportunity for a community center by drawing on the human capital and expertise in the community to study, evaluate, and analyze relevant opportunities in full. The Town of Scarborough established an Ad Hoc Community Center Committee, which began meeting in September 2023. The Town Council tentatively expects to submit a referendum question to the voters for a community center in November 2024.

The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to draw upon the Comprehensive Plan, the Community Survey, Parks & Facilities Master Plan, the needs and wishes of Scarborough residents, and to assemble a group of committee members with collective skills and expertise as committee members to work with the Town staff, Town Council, consultants, and other resources as required to advise and make recommendations to the Town Council during the feasibility study and design process for a community center.

Deliverables

Space Needs Analysis – Identification of desired programs and offerings and a complete evaluation of amenities to maximize community value that considers existing needs as well as some accommodation for future growth.

Site Selection – Assist in a site selection process in coordination with the consultant and staff. The process will consider all reasonable options for locating the facility, including public and private property, with preference to properties eligible for use of TIF revenues (learn more about Scarborough TIF districts).

Schematic Design – Prepare a conceptual design, including a lot layout and building evaluations, that will provide sufficient detail to describe the facility.

Probable Cost Statement – Prepare a probable cost estimate of the proposed facility with sufficient detail to forward to the voters for consideration.

Operational Analysis – Work with Town staff and consultants on an Operational Analysis to consider future staff needs to support the facility, as well as User Fees to offset operational costs.

The Town of Scarborough first created an ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee in 2019. At the time, the committee discussed the potential for a public/private partnership, such as with the Edge Sports Group’s proposed facility at the Downs. The committee consisted of nine members, appointed by the Town Council. See the details of this former committee work below. 

Charge for Ad Hoc Community Center (Order No. 23-030)

Final Report | January 31, 2020

The Ad- Hoc Community Center Advisory Committee completed its charge to review and analyze the potential for a public/private partnership on the construction of a community center and has delivered a final report to the Town Council. Simultaneously, the Town engaged an outside expert consultant, Berry Dunn, to complete a similar exercise.

Consultant's Final Report

The Town engaged Berry Dunn as an independent consultant with expertise in public recreation and specifically the design and operation of community centers to augment the work of the Ad-Hoc Community Center Advisory Committee.  This effort included a review of the assumptions and financial analysis included in the Committee's final report.  Berry Dunn's final report should be viewed as a companion to the Committee's work.  Both work products serve to inform the Town Council as they evaluate the current proposal and consider next steps.

Community Center Advisory Committee Workshop

The Town Council and the Community Center Advisory Committee held a workshop on March 11 to review the final report from the Committee and the consultant. With receipt of this information, the Town Council will consider next steps in this process at a special Town Council meeting on March 25, 2020 at 6:00 PM. Upon receipt of the consultant's report there will be a public workshop to review this information.  Stay tuned for more information.