The private school Greens Farms Academy has received approval from Westport for plans to construct a new Athletic and Wellness Center. The 29,230-square-feet facility would be attached to an existing athletic facility on the school’s 44-acre campus at 35 Beechside Ave. A maintenance building would be demolished to make room for the new facility.
According to Fairfield-based Attorney John Fallon, who was representing Greens Farms before Westport’s Planning and Zoning Commission, there is a significant need for new athletic facilities on the campus.
“Current areas for training/play spaces, changing areas, and equipment storage constructed in 1964 are outdated and insufficient to meet the needs of our students,” Fallon said. “We have also experienced increasing student interest in sports and fitness programs, and this has exacerbated the lack of versatile spaces that can be purposed for specialized strength/conditioning and wellness education for pre-k through twelfth grade-aged students.”
Fallon said that the new Athletic and Wellness Center will provide a state-of-the-art fitness center with cardiovascular and strength training equipment.
“Two additional squash courts to meet high levels of student and community interest will be provided. There will be provision for a specialized and versatile training area for training by high-performance athletes as well as multipurpose rooms fit for a wide range of wellness and fitness programming. The plans also call for enhanced sports medicine facilities. The new center will also address the need for increased capacity and safe training space for our nationally recognized wrestling program.”
Greens Farms reports that it currently has more than 700 students from 23 towns in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. It has an enrollment cap of 715 students. Its students play on 64 interscholastic athletic teams. The school has 118 full-time faculty members. The school traces its roots back to Mrs. Bolton’s School for Girls that was founded in Westport in 1925.
“The new Athletic and Wellness Center directly relates to and enhances our ability to address important considerations related to our educational mission,” Fallon said. “It will allow us to continue developing well-rounded students preparing for a lifetime of success while supporting physical health and academic achievement.”
