Technical Assistance & Training
Rockdale Youth Center ReconstructionNorthbridge, Massachusetts
The Town of Northbridge, MA and the Whitin Community Center completed a successful relocation and renovation of the Rockdale Youth Center in Northbridge. The Town secured $1.6M in disaster recovery funding through the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development’s CDBG-DR program on behalf of the WCC to renovate a vacant parochial school. The Center’s former home was also demolished as part of the grant. Community Opportunities Group, Inc. served as the Town’s grant project manager, helping the project team navigate the complex state and federal requirements of the funding source.
The former Rockdale Youth Center had been flooded numerous times due to its location on the banks of the Blackstone River. CDBG-DR funding presented an opportunity to relocate within the neighborhood while significantly expanding the RYC’s offerings within the community. The new RYC facility provides educational, social, and activity spaces for area children while simultaneously revitalizing a vacant school at the heart of the community. The former youth center was demolished with the leveled site turned over to the Town of Northbridge for passive recreation use (park, community garden, etc.).
Construction kicked off in December 2015 and was completed in October 2016 by Construction Dynamics, Inc. of Clinton, MA. Dixon-Salo Architects of Worcester, MA served as the project architect.