WEATHERSFIELD — Township officials are seeking additional avenues for funding for the planned multijurisdictional community center at the park off state Route 46

At a recent meeting, trustees voted to authorize Township Administrator David Rouan to apply for a congressional-directed spending appropriation through the office of United States Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, for a rural development community facilities grant.

Weathersfield is seeking $447,000 from Brown’s office to help with the construction of the community center.

“Annually, with the budget, they do a congressionally directed spending program and communities are invited to submit projects that fit within various parameters,” Rouan said. “There’s an opportunity in there through the (United States) Department of Agriculture for rural communities to apply for funding. Our hope is to secure some of that funding to help us finish that community center.”

Planned is a 91-foot-by-70-foot, one-story, 6,300-square-foot center with large and small meeting rooms and a warming kitchen to be used by safety forces and other groups. The center would be located west of the township gazebo.

In past years, trustees have said the police department and other law enforcement personnel, as well as groups such as the historical societies, 4-H and Scouts, could use the building. They said the center will be a welcome addition to the park, which is used for a variety of events such as the Flag Day Festival, fall Oktoberfest, Easter egg hunt, holiday tree lighting and local youth sports, among others.

“We’re out for a design-build contract right now for the building for $800,000,” Rouan said. “But that doesn’t include some of the site work, paving, parking lot, lighting and landscaping. So our hope is to be able to build the building with the existing grant dollars that we have and, if we’re fortunate enough to get the congressionally directed spending funding, we would use that to finish off the project.”

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