As the Strong Center project heads toward completion after years of work, the Board of Finance (BOF) at its Oct. 18 meeting approved the donation of $223,300 from the Strong Center Foundation to be used for the construction of the Strong Center Fieldhouse Plaza.

First Selectman Tom Banisch said the committee working on the project has set up a contract to start work on the plaza, one of the final elements of the project.

“Basically the plaza is the recognition of all of the donors who have helped to raise money,” said Banisch. “There is an arch when you walk in and then the plaza with the stones…This is basically an assembly of all of that and all of the construction expenses are in there.”

The center, which has been in the works for years, is designed to serve as a football field for high school and potentially college games, as well as soccer, lacrosse, and softball. It is also envisioned as a performance arts facility for music, theater, and dance.

Project construction was broken out into two phases. Phase I of the project included the replacement of the former grass football field with an artificial turf field and installation of the scoreboard, flagpoles, lighting, and bleachers with seating for 2,000. Phase II of the project includes a planned plaza and two field houses.

The entrance plaza will include a gate; three stone pillars for gold, silver, and bronze sponsor plaques; and 325 engraved granite plaza stones. Additionally the site will include several park benches, a Champions Walk from the home field house to the field, and a memorial garden.

Phase II of the project was held up as the town struggled to secure a contractor. Back in 2016, the town secured a Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) grant for $500,000 to complete the field houses and went out to bid for a contractor. With the money for the project coming in the form of a state grant, the state requires contractors must meet standards ranging from insurance to minimum labor rates. Banisch previously said there was only one bid on the project and in March, the town decided the contractor could not complete the project. In total, the field house project went through three rounds of bidding before the BOS formally awarded the contract of $481,024 to Pat Munger Construction Co., Inc., in late April.

BOF Chair Joe MacDougald, who was serving out his last meeting as chair of the board, said he was pleased to accept the donation and mentioned former first selectman Fillmore McPherson, who was in the audience, in his remarks.

“Fillmore I think I remember the plaza design when you and I were at this table under different roles, so I would move approval of the donation,” he said.

While the donation sailed through unanimously, an additional special appropriation request did not. Banisch asked that the agenda be opened to approve a special appropriation to cover some construction work at the plaza.

Banisch said he did not have a bill in front of him, but that the total cost was less than $15,000 to cover materials for the two project septic systems. Banisch said all labor had been donated. However the lack of a bill and a specific amount caused some problems.

“This is only my second meeting, but I would like to think that anytime we are going to make decisions about finance or payments that there is something there or tangible,” said board member Kevin Kranzler, who recently filled a vacated Democratic seat.

Banisch ultimately withdrew the request and MacDougald joked that the next BOF he comes to after the election is going to be tough, nodding at Jean Fitzgerald who was in the audience and is running for the BOF this November.

“Yeah, they are going to want a bill,” said Fitzgerald.