Governor Attends Community Center Opening

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

January 16th 2026

HOPKINTON – State officials and community leaders from Hopkinton and Richmond joined residents on Thursday morning for the grand opening of the Hopkinton Regional Community Center.

The center, which occupies a former public works equipment storage barn at Crandall Field, was lauded as a success on several levels.

The new facility will provide education, health and work skills programs to residents of Hopkinton and Richmond.

Richmond contributed $569,284 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the project, and in return, residents of that town will be able to use the center for five years.

Richmond Town Council President Samantha Wilcox was on hand for the opening.

“We have a deal with Hopkinton where we can share the space for at least five years,” she said. “I believe that we’d like to see it go further, but we’ll start where we can, because the grant they received that we were contributing towards is effective for five years.”

The Project

The 2,750-square foot center, which contains a telemedicine room, a classroom and several multipurpose rooms, cost $2.7 million and took about a year to complete. Because the project was undertaken using grant money, none of the costs will be borne by taxpayers.

The project came in under the $3.1 million it had been allocated. The extra funds will go back into the funding pool for similar projects elsewhere in Rhode Island.

Hopkinton Town Council Member Sharon Davis, who chaired the center’s Building Committee, cut the ribbon to open the center.

“It’s just a beautiful use of those funds,” she said. They took everything to the studs and started over.”

Former Hopkinton Town Council President Steve Moffitt added,

“We needed something for the community. We had an opportunity from the state for a matching grant.”

In addition to the ARPA grants, there was money from a $1 million bequest from local philanthropist, Velma Clinton. Some of the money Clinton left to the town went to the  animal shelter and some was allocated to the center.

“She left us over a million dollars, and she said that the Town Council could do as they chose with it,” Moffitt said.

Hopkinton Recreation and Senior Services Director Mary Sawyer said the center would offer a wide range of programs, including health education and support, in collaboration with Wood River Health.

“We’re going to start soon,” Sawyer said. “We’re going to try to transition everything over in the next couple of weeks. This the first time we’ve had people in here. We’ve been working all the way up to last night, getting things ready – because, company’s coming!”

Architect Matthew Clemence, of Ed Wojick Architect Ltd., worked with the contractor, Red Oak Remodeling, to transform the building while preserving its historic features.

“Just trying to work with the historic building and keep some of the historic elements, like some of the framing and things like that,” he said. “We wanted you to be able to see it and know that it was original and existing.”

Town Manager Brian Rosso opened the ceremony, describing the new facility as “a space built on history, shaped by vision and powered by partnership.”

“The building has stood since 1910 and was generously gifted to the town in 1976 by the Crandall family,” he said. “It has been reborn, not just as a building, but as a hub of opportunity for every resident.”

The Governor’s Learning Network

The Hopkinton Regional Community Center is one of 21 centers in Rhode Island which are part of the governor’s Learn365RI initiative to support high-quality year-round learning programs outside of regular school days.

Gov. Dan McKee said that the centers partner with municipal leaders to accomplish three objectives:

“One is to help our young kids reach their potential in their learning, two is, let’s make sure that we’re providing as much information on skill upgrades in their families, and the third thing is to make sure that we’re healthy,” he said. “And that’s the three things that’s going to be common with all these learning centers all around the state of Rhode Island.”

McKee noted that he had asked the General Assembly to approve $82 million three years ago, the fund from which the money for the Hopkinton Center was allocated.

“When we connect in around the entire state the networks that we’re setting up, we’re going to learn from one another,” he said.

The Hopkinton Town Council

Council President Mike Geary thanked the members of the current Town Council, Vice President Bob Burns, and councilors Ed James, Jasmin Roy and Sharon Davis.

“I’m more than proud to stand here in front of you and tell you the doors are open to our community center. This is the public’s house,” Geary said.

Sen. Elaine Morgan, R- Dist. 34, said,

“It’s been a work in progress, and I’m happy to see the fruits of our labor. … It was great that they were able to keep the foundation and the basic structure of the building.”

Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, D- Dist. 38, recalled how he had helped the town with state funding.

 “I reached out to the Governor’s office and the governor’s office told me, ‘Give it time. We’ve got to see how the other communities around the state, whether they decide they want to participate or not.’ Luckily, some of those communities chose not to, like Johnston. Hopkinton, working together with Richmond, was able to come up with $3.1 million and this is amazing to see this facility today.”

Kennedy presented a state citation congratulating the town on opening the center.

“It amazes me, ever since the Crandall family donated this to the Town of Hopkinton for passive recreational use, to see an old building like this, which used to house the lawn mowers and all the other equipment that the town utilizes, and now, turned into something that actually the people can use, is really a great thing,” he said.

Geary, speaking after the ceremony, attributed much of the project’s success to Rosso.

“It’s easy for the Town Council to get it on the agenda and vote yes or no, but when you get a yes vote and you get somebody like our Town Manager who’s driven to get projects done, the sky’s the limit.”