CHARLEMONT — Plans have been set to complete three construction projects that aim to make the historic Charlemont Fairgrounds more accessible to the community and draw larger crowds for events.

Charlemont plans to pursue three construction projects agreed upon at a selectboard meeting, which included Town Administrator Sarah Reynolds, representatives from the Planning Board and Parks and Recreations Committee, and residents discussing what projects are best to pursue at the fairgrounds.

The first main project entails construction of a gravel parking space aiming to create more access for visitors during events and for recreational use. The plans provided by the Conway School of Landscape Design, located in Northampton, creates two distinct parking areas, totaling 129 parking spaces and three entrances to the fairgrounds.

The Conway School offers an accredited graduate program focused on sustainable land planning and design. Through its 10-month program, students learn whole-system design thinking by working on real projects with client partners in New England and adjoining states. Earlier this year, students Amy Furman and Deborah Stone completed a full assessment creating designs to maximize the fairground space. They surveyed a total of 144 residents to gather information on the projects people would like to see incorporated at the fairgrounds. The survey’s feedback was incorporated into three designs that outline different construction projects the town can choose to pursue.

The second project plans to incorporate handicapped accessible bathrooms in a new building, something frequently requested in the survey. The current bathrooms at the fairgrounds located on the backside of the “Grand Stand,” are not handicap accessible, insulated and accessible year-round.

The third project plans a restoration of the Exhibit Hall built in 1885, which is currently used as the main gathering place of the fairgrounds. The hall used to host square dances and auctions, but has slowly seen less use over time. Attendees of the meeting expressed a desire to restore the building which could be used for several purposes, including a gathering place for the community, town meetings and events at the fairgrounds. The hall currently does not have insulation, heating and running water, limiting the use of the building.

“We’re not envisioning this to happen all at once,” Reynolds said in July. “It’s probably going to be a multi-year project, but as grants and funding come up, we would want to do this here and we would have a road map.”

The main source of funding for the projects is a recreation infrastructure grant received from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, which granted the town of Charlemont $500,000 to use before Dec. 31, 2026. The grant will be used towards projects at the fairgrounds and at the Hawlemont Regional School. With this deadline, the town hopes to kick start the projects before the grant’s spending deadline, then apply for grants in the future to complete the projects.

“My opinion is that we go after the projects we can finish before the grants end,” Selectboard Chair Valentine Reid said, referring to the three projects agreed upon at the meeting.

With nothing confirmed, suggested projects following the completion of the first three projects include building playground structures, gardens, security camera installations, structure restoration and more. Restoration of the Grand Stand, which is unusable and deteriorating, was discussed but replacing the wooden beams supporting the roof and restoring the structure is too costly for the town, estimated to cost more than $1 million.

The assessment of the fairgrounds completed by the Conway School can be found online at issuu.com/conwaydesign/docs/2024_charlemont_springfinallow_edit.