Hampton community center: Here’s the $18.8M 'bold' plan and what’s included

HAMPTON — “Vibrant,” was the term used for the recently revealed conceptual design for the town’s proposed Hub community center.

Its $18.8 million price tag appeared to be equally breathtaking.

“This looks great; I’m impressed,” said Selectman Chuck Rage after seeing the plan. “If we can find a philanthropist who’d like their name on the building, it would be even better.”

Rage’s comment came at the board’s March 11 meeting, following the presentation made by Josh Lacasse of Placework. Lacasse is the consulting architect for the collaborative project spearheaded by the Lane Memorial Library and Hampton Parks and Recreation Department. Town Meeting voters approved funds for the designs in 2022.

Lacasse said the town contracted with UNH in 2019 on an analysis that showed Hampton was lacking in indoor activity space for residents compared to other communities of its size. The estimated need, according to UNH, is 25 square feet per resident, he said, equal to about 32,000 square feet.

Lacasse said the proposed designs for a new community center were based on several community input meetings hosted by Library Director Amanda Reynolds Cooper and Parks and Recreation Director Rene Boudreau.

What came out of those sessions is a space-flexible 22,000 square foot design for “a third place for people to go,” Lacasse said, that is not “their home, work or school.”

“A space for gathering,” he said.

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What are the plans for future Hampton community center?

Instead of tearing down and starting anew, the Hampton Hub would be attached to the Lane Library, which sits at the corner of Winnacunnet Road and Academy Avenue. The two-story addition would be of compatible design with the library building and its ground- and basement-level format, as well as on a scale that works with its surroundings.

The addition would extend east on a parcel of land that extends into the roadway, according to Lacasse. Academy Avenue would be re-routed around the building, he said, and a centralized parking lot across the street reorganized beside the fire station. The Hampton Hub would also include a drop-off area behind the building.

The ground level, or first floor, would include a new library lobby, arrival space and circulation desk, Lacasse said. To the right of that would be a large multi-purpose recreation room that would include an elevated walking track around a space large enough to have three pickleball courts, he said. There would also be office space and a dedicated senior activity room.

The lower level – which allows access directly from an outside entrance – would include the children’s library, after-school room and multi-purpose meeting rooms, as well as a commercial kitchen and support space.

From the drawings, attention was given to the design to bring in as much exterior light as possible to make it a sustainable building. The streetscape of the development would be improved, according to Lacasse, and would include accommodations for those who would arrive on two wheels as well as four.

With costs per square foot rising sharply over previous years, Lacasse said they estimate the hard costs to build the addition would be $12.2 million. What drives up the cost to $18.8 million are soft costs, such as a 15 percent contingency fee and an estimated 6% per year to accommodate inflation on the estimated 2026 start date, as well as $600,000 in renovations to the Lane Library.

Lacasse said they still need to complete other work, such as a traffic study, geo-technical evaluations of the proposed site, surveys and lot line adjustments.

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What’s next for Hampton Hub project?

Lacasse said the next steps are to gather community support for the project and begin fundraising to offset as much of the cost as possible before asking taxpayers to cover the rest.

“We recognize the scale of this undertaking,” Lacasse said. “We recognize the ambition of this project at this point.”

Selectmen were universally pleased with the design, with member Jim Waddell calling it “vibrant.” He added although the costs are “a big part of it,” it made no sense to “dumb it down,” and create something that didn’t answer the residents’ needs or that was poorly received.

Town Manager Jaimie Sullivan reminded the board the consultant was directed to design a center based on what the townspeople said they wanted at the listening sessions.

“It’s a bold vision,” Sullivan said. “But it’s what the community asked us to do.”

Selectman Rusty Bridle thanked everyone for their hard work.

“This is what the people said they wanted, and you brought it forward,” Bridle said. “We have to decide the best way to go forward from here.”

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton community center: Here’s the $18.8M plan and what’s included