Alexandra Martinakova Photos
Alder Rodriguez: "We're starting a new history."
Reconstruction under way at 160 Carlisle St.
Hill Alder Carmen Rodriguez wiped away tears as she spoke about the revival of the former Barbell Club, now called the Trowbridge Youth and Community Center.
“It’s been a long time since this building has been closed,” she said at a Wednesday press conference celebrating the start of construction. “This community has been asking for its heart to be beating again.”
“We’re starting a new history,” Rodriguez continued, “and we’re all starting together.”
Wednesday marked the kick-off of the beginning of renovations at the historic Hill Cooperative Youth Service building — affectionately referred to as “The Barbell Club” — at 160 Carlisle St.
That building closed in 2008, and is now being remodeled and reactivated into the new Trowbridge Youth and Community Center. It will once again serve as a neighborhood space that provides free and low-cost activities and programs for New Haven children, youth, families and the wider community.
“We did start this project a few years ago in late 2023. There was a lot of abatement to do. You name it, it was in the old building behind me,” said City Engineer Giovanni Zinn. “And we also uncovered a fair number of structural issues. We are in active construction now. We try not to wait for press conferences and just dive in there.”
According to Mayor Justin Elicker, this is a $3.8 million project that will repair and transform the interior of the 7,900 square-foot facility into a new half-court gym, a multipurpose room, designated rooms for arts, music and movement classes, a food pantry, offices and bathrooms. This project will also restore the historic facade and exterior of the 100-year old building.
This is a part of a larger initiative announced by the Elicker administration in 2022 to revive and create community centers in publicly owned buildings across the city. This is “a way of activating these spaces for our community. We need more places for our young people to go in our community that are [within] walking distance.”
Plans for the future Trowbridge Youth and Community Center.
The facility will be managed by the Youth and Recreation Department and will also be available to nonprofit and community organizations that offer free and low-cost programs for city residents.
“What a beautiful day in the neighborhood, how exciting it is to be standing here,” said Gwendolyn Williams, director of New Haven’s Youth and Recreation Department. “The Hill has a special place in my heart. We are extremely excited about the programming we’re gonna be able to put in.”
The state provided $1.5 million in funds for this renovation, and $2.3 million came from the city.
“My grandmother used to live right on the corner,” State Rep. Juan Candelaria. “We used to come here and play, me and my siblings. Even in my adult life, we used to have our children come here and play basketball. There’s a lot of history here. We’re gonna provide a safe space and this is what the Hill needs and we have accomplished that.”
And he wasn’t the only one with a close connection to the building. As Elicker, Rodriguez and many others noted, there are many more with similar stories from the former Barbell Club.
“What’s most inspiring is that many people will have similar stories in 10 – 20 years from now, because of all the work we’re doing here,” Elicker said. “It’s a building that has long served as a resource in our community and we’re gonna make sure it’s a resource again. There’s a lot of improvement to the unbelievably deserving and wonderful neighborhood of the Hill.”
In addition to said improvements, the Trowbridge Square Park just across the road will receive additional playscape equipment, renovated paths and an interpretive historical display and banners commemorating the history of the Trowbridge Square historic district. This is possible thanks to a $150,000 allocation through the U.S. HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant that supports the Union Square neighborhood and housing initiative led by Elm City Communities.
“We have a daycare here that houses children and takes them out there to play,” Rodriguez said. “Children outside, screaming and yelling, that’s what we want to hear. We want our youth to be protected here.”
The reconstruction of the new community center is set to finish in the first quarter of 2026. Or as, Elicker joke-asked, “So we can expect construction be completed second quarter?”
Mayor Justin Elicker joked about how long the recontruction will actually take, compared to the early 2026 predicted timeline.
Along with the inside, the facade of the building is also getting repaired.
The Trowbridge Square Park across the street from the center.
