When the Weehawken High School gymnasium first opened its doors in 1935, it was considered ahead of its time.
"People used to say that they loved coming to the Weehawken gym back then because it was the best in Hudson County," Weehawken Superintendent of Schools Kevin McLellan said. "People said that it was like Madison Square Garden. They said they looked forward to playing in Weehawken simply because of the gym."
But over the years, the once-majestic gymnasium began to show its age. The hardwood floor was sanded and refinished so many times that there was hardly any wood left to varnish. The bleachers were also outdated and the picturesque brick walls were fading. The whole gym was in dire need of a makeover.
When the Board of Education decided that the school district’s facilities needed $10 million in repairs, causing a special election to use state funds and bonds, they knew the priority should be to upgrade the high school gymnasium.
Soon after the voters approved the ordinance, the first place to receive a facelift was the historic gym.
Last Monday night, school and township officials unveiled the restored gym to an audience of about 200 people, before the Weehawken girls’ basketball team participated in a scrimmage against Memorial.
Hardwood floor, new lighting
The newly refurbished gym, which cost approximately $500,000 to fix, features a brand new hardwood floor, new bleachers with handicapped access that meet the code established by the Americans with Disabilities Act, new lighting and new backboards for all six basketball courts.
Eventually, there will be a completely new girls’ locker room, which is expected to open within the next two months, and new interior doors that lead to the gym.
Plus, the original brick facing has been steam cleaned and restored to its original shine.
"We wanted to preserve the look of the old gym as much as possible," McLellan said. "That was a priority, to maintain the original beauty of the gym."
Needless to say, McLellan was pleased with the way the gym turned out.
"I’m absolutely ecstatic," McLellan said. "It brings Weehawken High School back to the days when it had a state-of-the-art gymnasium in 1935. We have revived that tradition with these improvements. The wood floor is first class maple. Our coaches all tell me that it’s just fantastic. I’ve received nothing but great responses from people."
There were some special dignitaries on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, namely former long-time coaches Perry Del Purgantino and Howie Wolf. Del Purgantino was the head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach at Weehawken for many years and was once the basketball coach at St. Michael’s of Union City, where he coached current NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Wolf was the founding father of the Weehawken High School wrestling program and coached the team for many years.
Lynne Arricale, the sister of the late Richie Arricale, was also present. Richie Arricale was first a great athlete at Weehawken High School, then became a coach, teacher, recreation director, and respected official.
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner was there to cut the ribbon.
"It’s a beautiful facility and it looks gorgeous," Turner said. "This is the first project we’ve done under the new bond issue. The goal was to get it done on time for the start of the basketball season, and we’ve done that. It was on time and on budget. It’s a state-of-the-art facility. Our students deserve the best. Now, they have the best."
Weehawken Athletic Director Richard Terpak agreed. "I’m very happy," he said. "The coaches had to deal with a lot of frustration having no gym, but the end product has turned out beautiful. Everyone will benefit from it. It’s the nicest gym I’ve seen in a long time."