Bridgewater recently requested bids to take down the Grange structure in the town center as the next step in order to build a new community center. 

But First Selectman Curtis Read says they've been delayed in selecting a contractor because the town must get pre-approval from the Connecticut Historic Preservation Office.  He says a misleading petition against demolition was recently circulated and submitted to the state. 

Read says if the Connecticut Historic Preservation Board doesn't give Bridgewater a green light to proceed, the construction fence could be up for another two or more years.  In 2016, $312,000 was approved for a newly constructed Community Center, with another $100,000 in the Harris Fund capital fund approved in 2015.

Bridgewater center has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a “Local Historic District” since 2000.  The Grange is considered one of the 61 “contributing buildings” within the district. The state has to evaluate that Bridgewater has adequately considered alternatives, like renovation, as opposed to the demolition of the existing Grange structure. 

But Read says the structure is documented to be in poor condition.  Renovation estimates range from $1.6 to 1.8 million. If renovated, the old building would essentially be all new while costing twice as much as a new building because of asbestos and lead paint removal. 

Significant heating oil contamination remains under the Grange since a tank removal in 2016.  Read says excavation could further destabilize the existing foundation.