Community House could be ready as early as May

KENT — The renovation of the Kent Community House is about halfway completed, and the space is expected to be open for use again by this summer. The building used to be an all-purpose center that served as a gymnasium until Kent Center School built its own in the 1950s. It was owned by the First Congregational Church of Kent, whose property it still rests on, until the church gave it to the town because it could no longer afford to maintain it. Ever since, the building has been used as an open space that can be rented by members of the community for events such as concerts, plays, square dances and basketball games. The building was also used as one of the main screening locations for the Kent Film Festival, which has been recently expanded to become the Litchfield Hills Film Festival. Renovations on the Community House began in early January, even though the decision to start the project was made by former First Selectman Ruth Epstein in 2009. A new commission, the Community House Renovation Committee, was created to oversee the work. The 80-year-old building needed new insulation and heating and cooling systems. The lighting and electrical fixtures will also be replaced, and the entire structure is getting a fresh paint job. The installation of the new insulation is now complete, as is most of the carpentry work on the building. All of the electrical wiring has been finished, and the building is now awaiting fixtures. The biggest job in the building is the removal of the old heating system, which was comprised of large steam pipes. The pipes, once removed, are cut into sections for disposal. The old boiler has been removed, although the radiators remain. The renovations have been made possible by two state Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grants of $200,000 and $100,000. The first grant was applied for by Epstein; First Selectman Bruce Adams applied for the second, once he realized that the first grant would not be enough to complete the construction. “The community house was a money pit. The heating was very expensive, and the building was generating very little income,” Adams said. With many people calling Town Hall to inquire about reserving the space for private events, Adams is hoping to finish the renovations by the early summer. The Kent Memorial Library has planned a visit from former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 3, and the goal is to have the Community House renovations finished in time to be the venue for the talk. The space may even be ready in time for the library’s talk by James R. Locher III, executive director of the Project on National Security Reform on May 1. “Our goal is to have a comfortable, attractive and energy-efficient building for the public to use for wedding receptions, fundraisers — really, just about any kind of event you want to hold,” Adams said. The selectmen’s office is now accepting reservations for the Community House, although they are not making any promises for reservations before July.