The Bay Spring Community Center will temporarily close starting in May as the Town of Barrington launches a major renovation of the building’s first floor. The project will modernize and improve accessibility at the historic facility, originally constructed in 1910 as the Town’s first fire station.
While the fire station closed in the late 1960s, the center’s second-floor hall—complete with a stage—has remained active. In response to increasing demand and a shortage of public meeting spaces, the Town has made significant improvements in recent years, including restroom upgrades, a new wheelchair lift for second-floor ADA access, and new HVAC and siding.
Thanks to a $1.37 million Community Learning Center Municipal Grant from the State of Rhode Island, the Town is preparing to launch an extensive renovation of the building’s first floor. The project will modernize the old apparatus bay and create a fully ADA-compliant, energy-efficient community space. Brewster Thornton Group Architects of Providence designed the project, which will be built by E.W. Burman, Inc. of Warwick.
Project highlights include:
- A new level floor throughout the first floor
- An open multi-use room and reception area
- Three soundproof private meeting pods with AV-equipped workstations
- A renovated kitchen and meeting space with upgraded cabinetry and an island
- A small rear addition with flexible meeting space
- New HVAC, electrical, and LED lighting systems
- Structural steel upgrades and second-floor repairs
- Public Wi-Fi, data cabling, and IT infrastructure throughout
- A new front ADA-access ramp with a canopy
Completion of the project is expected by summer 2026. For more information and project updates, visit barrington.ri.gov/491/Information-on-the-BSCC-Project