Concord's Recreation Commission wants the town to save the gymnasium at the former MCI-Concord prison or build a replacement as part of the site's redevelopment into a mixed-use neighborhood.
Commission Chair Matt Boger outlined the commission's position in a letter published in The Concord Bridge on Friday, Oct. 16. The commission expressed "strong support" for preserving the existing gym or incorporating a new indoor recreational facility into the redevelopment plan.
The commission pointed to its own Strategic Facilities Plan, which identified expanded indoor recreation as a key community need. That plan, developed by consultant Weston & Sampson with $75,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding, drew on a survey of more than 600 households and public forums held in 2023. The final report was completed in May 2024.
Boger's letter said the town's existing indoor facilities are limited and that a gym at the MCI site could host basketball, pickleball, walking, running, youth and adult programs, dances and community gatherings. Those activities, the commission wrote, "are increasingly difficult to accommodate elsewhere in town."
No cost estimate was included.
The commission also noted that recreational infrastructure already exists on the prison grounds. The letter urged the town to evaluate whether the current gym can be repurposed or whether comparable space can be built into the new development.
Redevelopment context
Town consultants presented updated redevelopment concepts for the MCI-Concord site in September. The Concord Bridge reported Sept. 18 that the revised plan could accommodate up to 1,000 housing units and roughly 100,000 square feet of retail space. Consultant Phil Schaeffing estimated the project could generate about $1.2 million per year in revenue for the town and its schools.
That September report also noted that a developer could offer additional commercial space if it chose to keep or repurpose the prison gym.
A zoning vote on the redevelopment could go before Town Meeting voters in May. As we reported Oct. 12, the Select Board is navigating the redevelopment process amid turnover, with member Mary Hartman's resignation triggering a special election. Select Board Chair Wendy Rovelli, who co-chairs the MCI Concord Master Plan Committee, said she expects to take over Hartman's seat on the housing trust because of the housing components in the redevelopment.
The Select Board meets Monday, Oct. 19. Residents can follow the redevelopment process through the town and weigh in when the zoning question reaches Town Meeting, potentially in May.
