No AC: Why does Worcester's hot Green Island area have a community center without air?
WORCESTER — It’s no secret that Green Island is one of the hottest neighborhoods in Worcester. As much as 10 degrees hotter – or more – on some summer days compared to other parts of the city, according to recent studies on climate change impacts done by Clark University and a consultant hired by the city.
That temperature disparity makes it all the more pressing that those living in Green Island have ways of cooling off on sweltering summer days, like air conditioning in homes and gathering spots.
No AC at Green Island Neighborhood Center
One such gathering spot is the Green Island Neighborhood Center, located in Crompton Park, that serves hundreds of residents in a neighborhood whose demographic is largely minority and low-income.
The center’s brick building has several windows including some that overlook the park, but there are no window AC units. Plus, no central air. Either is a necessity to bring down temperatures on oppressively hot days.
The City of Worcester owns the Green Island Neighborhood Center, and the building hasn’t had air conditioning for the 25 years that Robert Antonelli has been Worcester's assistant commissioner of parks and recreation.
"Historically, air conditioning has never been installed (in the Green Island Neighborhood Center), as with many other of our park buildings,” said Antonelli, who mentioned that the city’s South Worcester Neighborhood Center on Camp Street also lacks air conditioning.
The nonprofit Friendly House occupies the Green Island Neighborhood Center rent free, where it provides a food pantry and other social programs. Friendly House Executive Director Trish Appert and Assistant Executive Director for Programs Jerry Schlater declined to comment on the center’s lack of air conditioning.
Worcester resident speaks out
One Worcester resident brought the matter to the city’s attention, according to Antonelli.
That person is Lorraine Laurie, chairman of Green Island Residents Group Inc., a neighborhood organization that holds regular meetings inside the center. Laurie sent an email to the city asking if AC could be installed there.
The answer at the moment is no, said Antonelli, because the building lacks the necessary infrastructure for central air conditioning. Besides, anything that goes in the center has to be designed and there’s been no work on that front, nor money set aside to pay for it, Antonelli said.
Heat not the only issue: There's also repeated flooding
Excessive heat isn’t the only climate change impact at the Green Island Neighborhood Center. Repeated flooding is another, said Antonelli, who noted one severe flood closed the building for several years.
“Flooding has happened multiple times (at the center). It’s flooded, been repaired and flooded again,” Antonelli said.
Green Island is a flood risk for several reasons. The neighborhood is an “urban heat island." That means it was designed and built with an abundance of concrete that absorbs heat and not enough trees and leaf cover to lower temperatures – the greenery that you see in higher-income Worcester neighborhoods.
Green Island lacks trees whose roots would suck in stormwater, hence the increased risk of flooding.
Worcester has plans to add trees on streets north of Crompton Park. The city's Urban Forestry Master Plan, which hasn't been finalized, calls for more trees in heat island neighborhoods like Green Island, but it could be years before that happens.
Another difficulty is Green Island’s location. It’s in a low-lying part of Worcester, as noted by John Odell, the city’s chief sustainability officer. Odell explained that stormwater from the city’s higher elevations in the north and west run into Green Island.
Possible solutions?
Several options exist to potentially solve the center’s flooding problem, Antonelli said. They could include moving the building or putting it on stilts. Antonelli said any future decision needs neighborhood input.
“There’s a lot that goes into it to making a decision and I have not gone down any roads as of today,” he said.
The Telegram & Gazette is investigating the effects of a rapidly heating planet on people who live in our city. Follow along with "City on Fire" as we report the struggle with summer temperatures, even in New England. This is part of the USA TODAY project Perilous Course. Contact reporter Henry Schwan to be included in a story if you have been affected by heat: expense of air conditioning or lack of it, health risks, less access to green space, concern about pets and animals in the summer conditions, worry about an older loved one, etc.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester community center goes without AC. This summer will be hot.
