AUBURN — The newly sworn-in City Council saw preliminary designs Monday for a new PAL Center, one that would feature a full-sized gym and athletic fields, and new programming space.

The center in an aged building on Chestnut Street has grown into an important community need, but far exceeds capacity to provide after-school programming for some 100 children daily, officials said.

Over the past year, city staff and the center’s board have been in talks to identify space needs, and the city partnered with Woodard and Curran of Portland, engineering consultants, for initial design work.

“It is the goal of the organization to build a new center in the next two years,” a council memo said. “This project will begin a revitalization in an area of Auburn that has the highest child poverty rate, the highest violent crime, and the highest child victimization.”

Woodard and Curran officials, who attended the meeting Auburn Hall meeting via Zoom, presented the concept designs during a workshop Monday, showing details of a proposed 17,000-square-foot building featuring a gym, kitchen, day care, multi-purpose spaces for computers, art, and a teen room.

New outdoor amenities would include a new athletic field and site improvements such as additional parking, lawn space, playground and community gardens.

Initial cost estimates are $8.6 million for the new building and site work, with an option for a second phase of site improvements to nearby parking and road connections estimated at $1.1 million.

According to Mayor Jason Levesque, the project is among several under consideration to be funded partially with American Rescue Act Plan funds, but would also utilize other donors or a capital campaign.

City Manager Phil Crowell said Woodard and Curran offered the design work pro bono, as “a demonstration of seeing a community and neighborhood that could benefit from a public/private partnership moving forward.”

He said the pandemic highlighted the needs in the neighborhood and for PAL, which had to close its doors due to limited space. The center got its start roughly a decade ago when the city provided the building to the organization.

Crowell said the need now is apparent, with many kids relying on the center for not only a safe space after school, but also for healthy food.

“Often it’s their hot meal for the evening,” he said during the meeting.

Steve Hoffman of Simons Architects of Portland, which worked with Woodard and Curran on the design, said they envisioned the project as a “multi-generational hub for the community.”

“I was not expecting this level of detail for something that’s pro bono,” Levesque said Monday.

The council gave an informal nod of approval to move forward with additional discussions on the project.

BUDGETS COME EARLY

With the new City Council meeting for the first time Monday — including four new councilors — officials got an early jump-start on budget talks with a joint workshop.

In a preliminary overview of what will be the major factors for next year’s school budget, Superintendent Connie Brown said officials are expecting a budget increase of about $1.4 million in staffing costs tied to new union contracts with teachers and transportation staff.

She said other costs that may drive increases will be the debt payment for the new Edward Little High School, as well as higher costs for gas, electricity and insurance.

Levesque said in order to avoid higher property taxes, the city should continue its focus on creating new housing development, which could add to the citywide property valuation.

Asked whether Auburn schools could absorb an increase in students with its current infrastructure, Brown said elementary school enrollment is down, meaning there is room to grow.

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