Construction Beginning This Week on Riverfront Park Boathouse

This week should mark the beginning of construction on the $4 million boathouse that will be a major fixture in the $12 million Riverfront Park Expansion.

Town Manager Richard Johnson said that construction on the boathouse is expected to begin Thursday or Friday this week, with the building hoped to be covered by the end of December. The outer work must be finished by that date, since the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection prevents any work from being done along the banks of the Connecticut River from Dec. 31 through March 1.

The $4 million, two-story boathouse, which will serve as home for Glastonbury High School’s crew team, will include workout and storage areas for the club.

The 18,500-square-foot boathouse would also provide easy access to the waterfront for the first time in the town’s history, and would include workout rooms and storage areas for the team. The boathouse would also include public restrooms, a second-story observation deck, and a multi-purpose room for public use.

The park expansion also includes a lighted basketball court, public skating rink, scenic walkways, and boat ramps for motorized and non-motorized boats, including emergency vehicles.

All construction is expected to be completed by summer of 2014.