Westborough Plans To Build New Recreation Center At Bay State Commons

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Westborough town leaders are pursuing a plan to buy a standalone building at the downtown Bay State Commons development to create a new recreation center, town officials have confirmed.

The Westborough Select Board and town leaders have been meeting in closed session about the purchase in recent months, but on Tuesday were set to talk publicly about the plan at the regular select board meeting for the first time.

According to Town Manager Kristi Williams and Select Board Chair Sean Keogh, the town would buy the building at 1500 Union St. that houses a Boston Sports Clubs gym for $8.8 million, pending approval from Westborough Town Meeting.

The large building would be home to a new senior center on the lower level, plus recreation programs and recreation offices on the second floor. The space on the first floor will be part of a public process, with town officials seeking ideas about what to do with it.

"This is a large space, and we're really excited about it — and really excited about what the community hopes to see there," Williams said in a recent interview.

Although talks about the recreation center have been held behind closed doors, Westborough Patch received an anonymous tip about the plan recently. This week's select board agenda also included an item for a discussion about the community center.

The town plans to ask Town Meeting this fall for permission to borrow money to buy the building. If Town Meeting signs off, Keogh said the town could close on the purchase by March.

The recreation center plan fits in with a longer planning process dating back years. The town had previously eyed the former state hospital campus as a possible spot for a new recreation center. The location at Bay State Commons also fits with a town-wide master plan adopted in 2021 that identified giving seniors better access to downtown as a priority, Williams said.

The new recreation center would mean the closure of Boston Sports Clubs. The Union Street building also houses a seasonal Spirit Halloween store that was previously a Stein Mart, which closed in 2018.

Bay State Commons, opened in 2008 on the site of a former industrial site, was recently purchased by Framingham-based Grossman Development Group.

The select board will likely hold a vote later in September to add the purchase to the fall Town Meeting warrant. That meeting is set for Oct. 16.

"This is a unique opportunity that doesn't come by for many towns," Keogh said. "We want to make sure to bring it to the attention of the town for their careful consideration."