West Haven's November Runs Through Old Buildings With New Jobs

"It's a place for us to go now," Marine Corps veteran Marty Richards said about the new veterans suite at the opening of the West Haven Community Center. The city's account of the Oct. 22 opening records him thanking the University of New Haven for sponsoring it. His "now" points to an address. The suite is at 255 Meloy Road, in the former Anne V. Molloy Elementary School. Until this fall the building sat empty. Mayor Dorinda Borer called it "a nonperforming asset sitting empty in the middle of our city."

That building is a good guide to West Haven between now and early December. Nearly every date on the calendar happens in an older building or space that has taken on a new job: a schoolhouse, a German-American club on Highland Street, the Elks hall on Main Street, the Green. The new places being built on the shore are still under construction.

Molloy School, floor by floor

The city nicknamed the building "the Hub." A $1.8 million state grant paid to turn the school into a community center. City staff managed the work, with Human Resources Commissioner John M. Carrano and project coordinator Ernie Chiarelli in charge. Corporate sponsors outfitted most of the rooms, so each space carries a local name:

The main level is now home to the West Haven Senior Center. It also has an outdoor patio, a police meeting room, a social services office, and office hours for the city's social worker and public health nurse. Yale New Haven Health also paid for the nursing section. New Haven Bank plans free financial literacy classes in the building.

The upper level belongs to the Department of Youth and Family Services. Besides the gaming center, it has a youth center with beanbag chairs, a wellness suite, a gym, a food pantry, and a studio for wet and dry arts.

Turnout grew over the course of opening day. More than 200 sponsors, employees and residents came to the morning ribbon-cutting. More than 400 came to the evening open house, Patch reported. The Quinnipiac Post also covered the opening. It quoted West Haven High School senior Jade Stevens, a member of the school's Youth Committee: "We need a safe space to thrive."

For now the center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city says expanded hours are coming soon. A second phase will add more outdoor improvements. The rest of the season's dates are spread across the addresses below.

What the move leaves on Noble Street

The Senior Center used to be in the Robert A. Johnson Community Center at 201 Noble St. Now that the program has moved to Meloy Road, the city wants to sell that building, CT Insider reported on Sept. 30. The city's request for proposals closed Oct. 15. Its terms require the West Haven Child Development Center to stay at the property for 10 years under any deal. The building is on the market and has not been sold.

The calendar, by address

Every date from this weekend through the menorah lighting happens at a building or space West Haven has used for years. Several have taken on a holiday job for the season.

1. Saturday, Nov. 7, 5 to 11 p.m., West Haven Elks Club, 265 Main St. The West Haven Lions Club and the Surfside Veterans Association are holding a Veterans Award Dinner Dance with dinner, music, dancing and awards. Reservations closed Oct. 31. The West Haven Voice listed door tickets at $60, and veterans and active-duty military with ID get in free.
2. Wednesday, Nov. 11, 10:45 a.m., Veterans Walk of Honor, Bradley Point Park. The city and the West Haven Veterans Council will hold a tribute with remarks from Mayor Borer and Veterans Council President Dave Ricci. Police and fire honor guards will present the colors and raise the flag, a bell will ring at 11 a.m., and taps will close the ceremony. The city's listing invites the public.
3. Nov. 21 and 22, Harugari German-American Club, 66 Highland St. The club's free Christkindlmarkt runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
4. Thursday, Nov. 26, 8 a.m., 6 Rock St. The Shoreline Turkey Trot 5K.
5. Saturday, Nov. 28, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., West Haven Green. The Christmas tree lighting.
6. Friday, Dec. 4, 4:30 p.m., West Haven Green. The Hanukkah menorah lighting. The city's listing invites the public.

The middle three dates need more detail.

Highland Street turns into a Christmas market

The Harugari club's Patch listing describes gifts in a lit-up pavilion, Glühwein and hot cocoa, German beer and food, and raffles. The Branford Chorale sings at 1 p.m. Saturday. The outdoor market needs no admission or reservation. Sunday at 2 p.m., the club serves a traditional Rouladen dinner. It costs $30 for nonmembers and $25 for members. Reserve by Nov. 19 at 203-640-3656.

The Turkey Trot starts beside a building that isn't open yet

The Shoreline Turkey Trot 5K starts and finishes on the beach side of the old Savin Rock Conference Center at 6 Rock St. Registration and bib pickup open at 6:45 a.m. and close at 7:45, the race starts at 8:00, and the venue closes at 9:15. Race-day registration is $40 if spots remain, paid by cash, Venmo or check only. The race began in 2021, seven weeks before Thanksgiving, and still had more than 200 finishers. It set a new finisher record in 2025. Runners are asked to bring donations for the WHEAT food pantry.

The building next to the start line is in the middle of a conversion of its own. It is becoming The Kelsey at Savin Rock, a restaurant and event venue with outdoor decks and a rooftop dining area with a seasonal bar. The Kelsey's own site says construction is moving forward and the venue expects to open in early 2027.

The Green has its biggest night

The city presents the tree lighting with West Haven United, and Kim Kenny serves as master of ceremonies. Starting at 4:30, the 5-acre Green has live performances, hot chocolate, and free firetruck rides, hayrides and train rides. At 6 p.m., Mayor Borer speaks from a portable stage on the Main Street side. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive with an escort and help light the tree, then pose for photos until 7:30. A Postal Service mailbox for letters to Santa sits nearby, according to the city's event listing.

The shore's new places are still under construction

In a July 14 release, the city said The Kelsey was expected to open early next year. The same release said a coffeehouse at the former Frenchy's Bait & Tackle site on Beach Street would open "within the next few months." The release also announced $2.1 million in state funding for pedestrian upgrades, modern lighting, median curbs and paving along Captain Thomas Boulevard, which the mayor called "the gateway to these new projects."

Next, the Green gets its own makeover

The Green hosts two of the season's biggest nights, and it's also next in line for changes. On Sept. 22, the state's Community Investment Fund 2030 board approved a $2.5 million grant for downtown improvements. The plan covers public spaces on the historic West Haven Green and at the 9 Curtiss Place plaza and alleyway off Campbell Avenue, plus small grants for businesses in the Village Improvement District. The money still needs final approval from the state Bond Commission. The city expects the rollout to take about two years. That is a bit more than the $1.8 million it took to turn Molloy School into the Hub.

Up the street, the University of New Haven broke ground Sept. 18 on the Pompea College of Business at Martin Family Hall. The four-story, $45 million building will go up off Campbell Avenue and is expected to open in July 2028. Until then, West Haven's late-fall calendar runs on Meloy Road, Highland Street, Main Street, Bradley Point Park and the Green.

When an empty school reopens as the Hub, or a city building like 201 Noble St. goes up for sale, the value of the homes around it can shift too. If you'd like to know what changes like these mean for a home near Meloy Road, Noble Street or the Green, Schuyler Goines follows them address by address. Let's Connect.