The state will cut the ribbon Tuesday on the remade pavilion at Sherwood Island State Park on the Long Island Sound in Westport. The timing coincides with what is predicted to be the sort of 90-degree, ice-cream-cone day for which the pavilion was made.
The $3.5 million project broke ground in July.
The pavilion was built in 1961 and was last renovated 26 years ago. The renovation was funded via state bonding, which the State Bond Commission approved last year.
The work was overseen by the state Department of Construction Services in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. It included a new roof on the pavilion along with solar panels for electricity and hot water. The plumbing and bathroom facilities were updated and upgrades were made to the concession area. Landscaping was also included.
“The renovations are complete and ready for the 2015 summer state park season and have contributed 56 jobs to the local economy,” the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said in a statement. Department Commissioner Robert Klee is expected to attend along with state Department of Administrative Services Deputy Commissioner Pasquale Salemi.
The 235-acre Sherwood Island State Park ”“ named for a colonial English miller ”“ is 101 years old. It was Connecticut”™s first state park and remains one of its most popular, according to the governor”™s office. It features the Sherwood Island Nature Center, which for the last three years has been open in the summer.
