Wellesley scores $500K state grant for Warren Building electrification

The Wellesley Climate Action Committee is celebrating a $500,000 grant to be used for electrification of the Warren Building (aka, health and recreation building) at 90 Washington St.

Wellesley Sustainability Director Marybeth Martello said during the Climate Action Committee’s Sept. 6 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording) that the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources came through with the grant, one of its biggest during the latest round of funding.

The Warren Building is set to undergo a big HVAC revamp that will temporarily require staff to relocate, and funding that project is the subject of Article 3 at Special Town Meeting in October.

Town Meeting last year approved $531K for design work on that project, which is slated to get underway next year and cost millions. The goal is to provide a healthier and more climate-friendly facility.

The Climate Action Committee also during its Sept. 6 meeting had a higher-level discussion on its strategy for pursuing grants given there is a growing amount of money available for climate-related work but limited resources in town for identifying and applying for grants.

Some grants would be in line with the committee’s work plan and some might allow it to tackle additional emerging issues. “Grants are often opportunities to think outside the box, to be innovative, to take actions you might not consider otherwise,” Martello said.

With Wellesley bringing on new personnel, including a director of transportation and mobility, new opportunities are arising for the town to coordinate across departments and divvy up the grant application work.