Bennington Recreation Center to see $3.5 million in improvements

The United Counseling Service along with Head Start, which provides services to children in needy situations, has secured grants for an expansion to the Bennington Recreation Center.

Currently, Head Start is renting a facility in North Bennington, but thanks to a $3.5 million federal grant, they’ve partnered with the town to expand the existing building.

The Bennington Town Manager says it’ll help bring together children, senior citizens and everyone in between.

The addition will wrap around the center, providing classrooms for day care, a kitchen so children can learn to cook, and a multipurpose room for the community. There will also be a new playground built.

There will also be a partnership with the Northern Berkshire YMCA to provide additional programs to families.

A second phase to the project is in the planning stages. The town manager says he hopes to add a second story, a larger weight room, indoor gymnasium and a track. He says this project is about five years away and would likely require a bond.

Crews hope to break ground on the first phase of the project by the end of this year, and have it done by the end of 2020.