Riverwalk Pavilion To Be Built By Summer

Shelton's downtown Riverwalk will welcome a much-anticipated addition, hopefully as early as June. Construction of a pavilion adjacent to the building began earlier this month and is expected to be completed within about three months.

"It’s going to be fantastic. It's one of those things where it seems like 30 different people individually had the idea and it came to a point where we wanted to make it happen," said Shawn Fields, president of the Derby-Shelton Rotary Club, which is managing the project in conjunction with the city.

James Ryan of the Economic Development Corporation said the 3,800 square foot pavilion will be T-shaped and built on a slab-on-grade foundation with brick masonry columns. Designed by Tate and Associates of Fairfield, the roof will be wood-framed with a cupola in the center. The brick perimeter will connect to the Veterans' Walkway, making the pavilion handicap accessible and easily integrated with other public spaces in the vicinity.

Fields said the pavilion will seat 200+ on the inside and will have a dance floor. There is also enough room to put tents in either of the side wings.

"The final amount was over $300,000," Fields said."The Club is putting in $170,000 or so and  the city is putting in the rest."

The Rotary Club raised the majority of its money from donors. Each of the 13 pillars holding up the structure were "sold" to contributors, whose names will be displayed on plaques.

"We are also rolling up a boulder somewhere outside and we will put a plaque with names on that as well," Fields said. "We sold spots on the boulder for $1,000 a piece."

When construction is completed, the pavilion will be considered city property and residents can request to use it for events.

"It will be called the Derby-Shelton Rotary Pavilion, and it's dedicated to Dick Belden," Fields said. Richard Belden represented Shelton in the House of Representatives from 1974-2007.

"It has been very exciting to work on a project this big and have so many parties involved, and it be so easy. There is really nothing negative about the project," Fields said.