Topsham Community Center Committee officials will host a public workshop next weekend to gauge what locals want to see in a potential community center.

The workshop is at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the Forum at Mt. Ararat High School, 68 Eagles Way.

According to Leslie Byrne, a member of the Community Center Committee, the Topsham community center would be the town’s first. The results of the public workshop will be sent back to the town for consideration before the building designs and cost estimates are drawn up and sent to the Select Board for review.

The workshop will showcase the town’s progress in exploring the idea of a community center and examining community needs and aspirations. Smaller group exercises will be conducted to receive feedback on the building layout and what amenities, such as potential community kitchens or a fitness studio, could be included in the community center.

“I think it gives an opportunity for [Topsham residents] to ask some questions as well,” said Lynn Sirois, Community Center Committee co-chairperson.

According to an October 2024 Community Center Feasibility Study, Topsham has two potential locations for a community center, one on Foreside Road and the other on the Topsham Fairgrounds site near the bypass. Over the past year and a half, the town has conducted focus groups and a survey, which were presented to the Select Board to determine the next steps regarding potential locations.

“I think that the biggest thing [the feasibility study] has revealed so far is the town is interested in us pursuing something,” said Alison Cary-Blais, Community Center Committee secretary.

Byrne said Topsham is considering whether residents wants a community center based on the original concept supported by the 2019 Topsham Comprehensive Plan, highlighted in the introduction section of the 2024 Community Center Needs Assessment and available on the town’s website in the Community Center Committee section.