Ex-Nichols Library gets new educational purpose
TRUMBULL — The former Nichols library building could once again function as an educational facility for young people under a plan that recently passed the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Under the plan, Monroe-based Transition Services of Fairfield County, LLC, or Transition CT, will renovate the 101-year-old building into a facility designed to help young adults with developmental disabilities obtain the skills to adjust to adulthood.
“It’s the old Nichols library; it’s worth preserving and you couldn’t figure a better educational, social use to go into a library than this use,” said Attorney Raymond Rizio of Rizio and Russo, LLC. “It’s a great thing for the town of Trumbull and great use for a building. Its functional use as a library doesn’t work in 2024, but to put an educational use in what was intended to be an educational building is a tremendous asset for the town.”
Commission Chair Fred Garrity agreed.
“I think it’s a nice thing to be able to see a modern use for a historical building that meets all of our criteria, which is a good thing,” Garrity said.
The Nichols location with be Transition CT’s fourth. Other locations are in Easton and two in Monroe. The company has been operating since 2017, with its headquarters are at 169 Monroe Tpke.
“Transition CT is a transition program for young adults from ages 18 to 23 who have varied disabilities,” said Dawn Gray, co-owner and managing partner. “They come to us to do some exploration into job opportunities, some post-secondary options, daily living skills and more.
Gray said the Trumbull location will focus on the arts.
“We have found that a person’s ability to be an artist is so strong in some of our guys, but often times, they’re not looked at that they could be an artist,” she said. “But so many of our guys put out this profound, beautiful artwork and we would love for them to have an opportunity to be an artist, whether it means sculpting, paint or even crayons. We’re just happy to allow them to explore.”
The former library was originally named Nichols Memorial and was built in 1923. The Trumbull Congregational Church, located adjacent to the library building on 3115 Reservoir Ave., currently owns the building. Transition CT will lease the property from the church, according to Economic Development Director Rina Bakalar.
Nichols Memorial was one of the three core libraries in Trumbull, along with FairchildNichols
and Hawley Memorial, until 1969 when all three libraries merged into the Fairchild-Nichols Memorial Library.
After the merger, the Nichols Memorial and Hawley Memorial libraries closed. Three years later, the Town Council approved funding for a central library and the building at 33 Quality Street opened on June 8, 1975.
The commission approved the project based on the adaptive reuse section of the town’s zoning regulations, which aim “to foster the renovation and reuse of structures which have either been previously occupied by nonconforming uses or are of historic value to the Town of Trumbull.”
Rizio said the new facility would not affect the integrity and preservation of the historical building.
“This is very much consistent with what you’re looking to do with adaptive reuse,” he said. “You’re keeping every historical character of the building. None of the outside will be changed and the material will remain intact.”
Gray said renovations would focus on bringing the building’s interior up to code.
“The building has not really been used as a full rental in, I don’t even know how many years. There’s some work that has to be done like the flooring and painting,” she said. “We would love to be in there ASAP, but we’re hoping, and our goal realistically, is to be in there by the end of the summer.”