Hill Health, Skating Rink Contracts Advance

Alders unanimously advanced two proposed public-private accords — one that would keep a community health center in Dixwell for the next two decades, another that would bring an ice rink management company to Upper State Street for the next five years.

Local legislators took those votes Monday night during the latest regular monthly Board of Alders Finance Committee meeting, which was held online via Zoom.

The committee alders unanimously recommended approval of two separate city contracts. Both now advance to the full Board of Alders for further debate and a final vote this fall.

Hill Health @ Q House: $318K/Yr For 20 Yrs

The first would have the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center lease 15,374 square feet across two floors at the new, soon-to-open ​“Q House” community center at 197 Dixwell Ave. 

The longtime local federally qualified community health center would relocate from its current neighborhood digs across the street in Dixwell Plaza. The health center would pay the city a base rent of $318,077.40 per year for an initial term of 20 years, with two five-year options to renew. The health center would also cover the costs for its share of ​“common area expenses” at the Q House, including heating and cooling, utilities, janitorial services, security services, snow removal, and general maintenance.

“Moving a medical operation is no small task,” Cornell Scott Hill Health Center CEO Michael Taylor said in support of the proposed 20-year term of the lease. ​“And it’s not something that we ever do with the intent of doing it on a short-term basis. We already have a longstanding presence in the Dixwell community. We were simply not interested in a short-term move.”

“Recognizing that the market for medical office space is a little bit tight, and we’re building a first-class facility, one that will last the duration of this lease,” city Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli said. ​“This is the right partner to go on the journey with us.”

Ralph WalkerRink: $5K / month for 5 Yrs

The second contract that won the alders’ support Monday night would have the Bridgeport-based management company Wonderland of Ice take the helm as the new operator of the recently rehabbed and long-shuttered Ralph Walker Skating Rink.

The management company would pay the city $5,000 a month, plus 10 percent of net revenue from operations above $100,000 per year. It would also pay the city 10 percent of revenue earned from concessions. The proposed contract would last a minimum of five years, with one five-year option to renew. In exchange, the company would offer a range of ice-related programming at the public rink, from skating classes to hockey classes to hosting hockey tournaments and birthday parties.

Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Becky Bombero said that, before the city shuttered the rink for years of rehab in 2016, the city had been paying the rink’s previous operator $7,000 per month plus expenses to manage the site. With this new contract, the rink’s manager would be paying the city instead.

Per the proposed contract, the rink operator will have to offer a minimum of seven hours per week of open skate hours, and they’ll have to abide by the fee schedule set by the city and the Board of Alders in the budget each year. The rink is slated to open for the season in October.

“We do anticipate that we will be fully programmed going into the next season,” Bombero said about the high regional demand for places to ice skate.

Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison spoke up in support of both proposed contracts.

“I am of course 1 million percent in support of this lease agreement,” she said about proposed Cornell Scott Hill Health Center‑Q House deal. She described the health center’s long-term lease of space at the Q House as the ​“button that we needed” to ensure that people who visit the reborn community center ​“get all their needs met. … You’re gonna have a full wing of pediatric care, dental, all the great things that we need.”

Morrison also spoke up in support of the Wonderland of Ice contract for the Ralph Walker Skating Rink.

“You don’t often see skating in the inner city,” she said. ​“For us to be able to have such a valuable service in our community, it really speaks to who we are and our growth and development and partnerships, making sure we get the best to provide services to our residents.”