New Owner of Goodwin Community Center Mulls Future Uses

A historic community center here in Claremont finally has a new owner but its future and potential uses still hang in question. The Eagle Times reports that the Goodwin Community Center at 130 Broad Street, now owned by Darrell Lee who bought it in the city auction, may want to use the large swimming pool as a hydrotherapy resource.

Lee tells the paper that he hopes to lease the swimming pool building, which sits behind the main building, to a tenant such as a medical group or a school who could use the 25-meter pool. He has already spoken to two different physical therapy groups who are interesting in using the pool to assist with their rehabilitation programs.

Lee, who is a real estate investor out of Springfield, Vermont, purchased the former community center in March for $60,000. This amount is only 6 percent of the nearly 1 million dollar assessment value. The building was sold during a city-run auction that paid no mind to possible uses of the building and simply accepted the highest bid.

Lee has yet to come forward with a specific vision for the entire complex of three buildings.