“We’re excited. We’ve seen the plans and OGRCC is in the plans. We will have some sort of space dedicated to us. Which is great and exciting. But once they shut it down and demolish, it, we’re looking at a couple years of being displaced.”
– Tom Casazzone, OGRCC Director“We’ve been told we’re able to run programs in the building through the end of January, which includes use of the offices upstairs,” Casazzone said.
The challenge is that programming is seasonal, and running 4 weeks of a 12 week program is not ideal.
“We didn’t want to take a risk, so we went down the street to Sportsplex,” Casazzone said, adding that OGRCC is renting a dance studio from Sportsplex to temporarily house their after school dance program.
“They’re excited to have us and it’s a really nice dance studio with ventilation, speakers and nice floors. There’s parking. It’s safe. Our members didn’t bat an eye.”
Casazzone said now is the time to register for the dance program that starts in January. Classes include Ballet, Hip Hop, and Ballet/Tap.
As of Monday, OGRCC had yet to find a place for their children’s art program.
“It’s kids painting with easels and canvas and, on occasion, they make a mess, so Sportsplex is not the best space. We’re talking to to the Perrot Library and area churches,” he said.
Also, just for January, OGRCC will run indoor elementary age soccer in the civic center gym, as well as art and ladies dance/fitness.
Girls Basketball at Carmel Academy
Casazzone said in the winter OGRCC runs a girls-only basketball program for grades 2 through 8, with different divisions. Typically it is runs out of Old Greenwich School and Dundee, but Greenwich Schools weren’t actively renting out the buildings, so they found alternate space at Carmel Academy on Lake Ave.
“Girls basketball will start right after Thanksgiving,” Casazzone said. “As of Monday there were spots available.”
OGRCC runs the Sandpipers summer day camp (Summer schedule will be posted in February) and the town’s Parks & Rec Dept runs Kamp Kairphree.
OGRCC also runs after school childcare programs at Old Greenwich School, North Mianus School and Dundee. They are Licensed by the State of Connecticut and the programs run until 6:00pm daily. At Dundee, they also run a morning program from 7:30am until 8:30am.
Click here for the program catalog.
Click here for the link to the OGRCC website.
Town of Greenwich Parks & Rec
As for the town’s programs that rely on Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, Recreation Superintendent Susan Snyder said that for Kamp Kairphree, the Parks & Recreation Dept is requesting to use one of the local elementary schools.
“The first choice would be Old Greenwich School if that is available,” Snyder said. “Some other smaller programs, such as pickleball clinics would relocate to Bendheim Western Greenwich Civic Center.”
In the meantime, she said as long as the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center is still operational, the building staff will schedule pickleball play in the gym. There is drop in pickleball at the EGCC in Dec and January.
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