Former ambulance station to become MakerSphere’s new woodshop

June 27, 2025  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Makersphere’s woodshop will re-open out of the Waterbury Ambulance Service’s old headquarters in July. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti

Waterbury Ambulance Service’s longtime home on Guptil Road may be mostly empty now, but another community nonprofit is poised to move in soon. 

MakerSphere announced to its members and supporters last week that it is signing a lease to move its woodshop into the building this summer. 

The space is slightly smaller than the woodshop’s original location on U.S. 2 in Moretown, just outside of Waterbury. Currently in rented space alongside Ted’s Kar Kare, the woodshop also includes a stained-glass studio. 

Under the new arrangement, the stained-glass space will move to MakerSphere’s existing Waterbury Center location in the Green Mountain Seminary building on Hollow Road, not far from the former ambulance station, explained MK Monley, who chairs MakerSphere’s Board of Directors. It will share space there with MakerSphere’s clay studio. 

The former ambulance station at 1727 Guptil Road is owned by the Town of Waterbury and situated alongside the town Highway Department facilities. Town Manager Tom Leitz said the one-year lease with the arts and maker organization will be just $5,000. “It is indeed a good use for the building and shouldn’t interfere with our operations,” he said. 

Waterbury Ambulance Service recently completed its move from the building into its newly constructed station on Demeritt Place off South Main Street in downtown Waterbury. The agency will hold a grand opening celebration there at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and informal tours for the public. 

Monley said the ambulance’s move presented an ideal opportunity for the arts organization.  

“We’re deeply grateful to the Town of Waterbury for making this exciting transition possible,” Monley wrote in a letter to the community that explains the next steps. “Beginning July 1, woodshop classes and memberships will pause as we prepare the new space and plan new classes and projects to launch in September. We can’t wait to welcome you back with a fresh lineup of offerings in our newly organized woodshop.” 

The original woodshop uses about 1,600 square feet, Monley noted, and the new space will be just slightly smaller at about 1,400 square feet. 

MakerSphere opened its woodshop in June 2023. Monley said the location was dynamic and functional, but the cost proved to be more suitable for a commercial business rather than a nonprofit workshop. In May, the organization put out a call for a fundraising infusion that resulted in some new contributions, but not enough to make remaining in the current space long-term, she said. 

“The rent we'll pay to the town is significantly less, which will help us sustain the woodshop program,” Monley said. “The donations we received will help with the overall financial pinch.”

Downsizing slightly makes sense, Monley explained, as a way for the organization to continue to operate the woodshop, which required a significant investment in equipment and supplies. The new location will be more affordable and situating the stained-glass studio nearby should be convenient, she noted. 

For now, MakerSphere will not be the only tenant at the former ambulance station. Waterbury Backcountry Rescue, which is part of Waterbury Ambulance Service, will continue to use one of the garage bays to store its equipment and it will have two small office spaces, she said. The new ambulance station plans were scaled back from original designs, and it did not include room for the backcountry unit.  

Another change for MakerSphere that will help it manage in a smaller space will come in the fall when the organization will be able to run after-school classes at Brookside Primary School, rather than having students ride the school bus to MakerSphere. 

“Beginning in September, elementary-aged students will be able to participate in after-school art programs right on campus, allowing them to spend more time creating and requiring less transportation,” Monley wrote. 

The move out from the Rt. 2 facility and into the Guptil Road location will take several weeks over the summer and will require volunteer help. Monley said the MakerSphere website already has been updated with details on the various steps and tasks where assistance will be needed. Community members interested in helping out can sign up online to volunteer. 

Monley said it’s been support from the community that convinced MakerSphere leaders to move, continue running the woodshop, and to make the other program changes to accommodate its many activities in multiple settings. 

MakerSphere runs a variety of art classes for youth and adults. It offers clay studio and woodshop memberships and rents artist studio space at its Foundry Street location. It’s involved in numerous community art endeavors, including spearheading the River of Light lantern parade each December, supporting public art projects such as the recent rehabilitation of Jack’s Alley on Stowe Street, and it’s working on an entry in this weekend’s Not Quite Independence Day parade. 

As a nonprofit arts organization, MakerSphere relies on a combination of membership fees, program tuition from classes, grants, and tax-deductible donations to operate. 

“If you’d like to help sustain MakerSphere’s mission of fostering creativity, learning, and community through the arts, please consider becoming a sustaining donor,” Monley wrote. “Your ongoing contributions ensure we can continue offering dynamic programs and accessible creative spaces for all.”

More information is online at makerspherevt.com.