Posted on December 15, 2021
HARTFORD — House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora on Wednesday applauded news that this month’s State Bond Commission agenda includes a $1.6 million funding request to replace the roof of the Stanley T. Williams Community Center in North Branford.
“This building is the very definition of an essential community hub, serving as home to the Board of Education’s central offices, our Family Resource Center, and the Recreation and Senior Center departments,” said Candelora, adding that the building is open seven days a week throughout the year and hosts roughly 15 special events annually. “This investment by the state will go a long way toward preserving this critical local resource for our next generation, and I’m appreciative that Governor Lamont has placed this funding request on the commission’s agenda.”
Candelora, who serves the 86th District, led the legislative effort on the funding request, which is subject for a vote during the commission’s Dec. 21 meeting.
The building’s roof, Candelora said, is more than 60 years old. The flat roof has allowed standing water, causing many severe leaks throughout the building—staining ceiling tiles in every room and creating a health hazard for staff and residents.
“I can’t stress how important this building is to our community—there’s a full-scale fitness center with more than 100 members, a senior center with more than 200 members, and a multitude of programs that serve everyone from infants to centenarians,” he said. “This center is infrastructure in the truest sense, and I truly believe this funding will allow local programming and critical services to continue to flourish.”
