The building that once served as the town’s recreation center will be converted into a community center by next month, according to local officials. An entire floor of the facility will be dedicated to teen activities, addressing what some say is a need for a youth center in town.
Ever since the opening of the new Secaucus Recreation Center on Koelle Blvd. in December 2008, town officials have debated what should be done with the old recreation center building at 145 Front St.
Mayor Michael Gonnelli said last week the town has already received commitments from three local companies and the federal government to help with the conversion.
The move is welcome news for teens and other residents who have complained in recent months that there are too few activities in Secaucus for young people. These residents have stated in local newspapers and at Town Council meetings that too many young people spend their free time “hanging out” and loitering in the Plaza area at the center of town.
“We run out of things to do in town.” – Alex Farinola
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“The council thought it was important to offer more services for our youth. We wanted to give them a place where they could go and have fun, something that they’ll find attractive and want to use,” said Mayor Michael Gonnelli last week.
Welcome news
Work is already underway at the Front Street property to make the space more teen-friendly. Video games, game consoles, ping pong and pool tables, big screen TVs, audio equipment, and other entertainment are currently being installed at the center.
The town has also reached out to community groups, including People to People International – a group of parents and students that fosters an understanding of international cultures – to attract volunteers to act as chaperones at the center. The mayor estimates that the center will need up to four adult volunteers during opening hours.
“There will be adult supervision,” Gonnelli said. “But we want to find people who the kids will be able to relate to.”
Last week, Walmart donated a Blu Ray DVD player and two large-screen televisions to the center, and other local companies have pledged other in-kind support. Panasonic and Best Buy have also promised to donate equipment to the facility.
Teens happy
The plan to have a dedicated space for teen activities is already receiving praise from some members of the community.
“People run out of things to do in town and they’re looking for things to do,” said Alex Farinola, 17, a recent Secaucus High School graduate and former president of the Student Government Organization. “With my friends, we usually play basketball during the day, or try to do something physical. And maybe we’ll go see a movie at night. But eventually you get sick of that when you’re doing it everyday. We don’t have someplace to go hang out and have something to do.”
Former Democratic mayoral candidate Peter Weiner applauded the community center concept last week. Weiner has long argued that the Recreation Center on Koelle Blvd. functions more as a membership-based health club than a traditional recreation center.
“You have to be a certain age to join the Recreation Center,” he said. “So, if you’re too young, you can’t join at all. If you’re older, you can join, but you have to pay a membership fee. And if a non-member wants to, let’s say, play a game of basketball with their friends, they have to pay $10 to get in. That’s a health club; that’s not a recreation center. I’m glad the Town Council is giving our youth someplace they can go, where they can be safe.”
Hours for the community center haven’t been set yet, but the mayor said teenage residents will be able to access the facility free of charge.
$45,000 grant
The fate of old recreation center has been in limbo for more than a year, partly because it is in need of costly repairs to its heating and air conditioning system, and town officials had to decide whether it made sense to make them.
In March 2009, Dennis Elwell, who was mayor at the time, said, “We are facing having to make a large investment into the air conditioning and heating [HVAC] system. We have to see whether that’s a worthwhile investment for us to make.”
Last year repairs to the HVAC system were originally estimated at $60,000, according to Town Administrator David Drumeler. A more recent estimate put the cost of repairs at $32,000.
“The HVAC system still works on the first floor. It’s the second and third floors where there’s a problem,” Gonnelli said last week.
He said the town has received a $45,000 Community Development Block Grant from the federal government to cover the cost of the HVAC repair.
In the meantime, activities will be concentrated to the first floor.
Other uses
In addition to the teen activities on the first floor, the center will serve other functions as well. The Secaucus Food Pantry will be stationed there, as will some senior activities, the mayor said. Local groups will also be allowed to use the center for organizational meetings.
Gonnelli said the town has abandoned plans to knock down the building to convert the land into a parking facility.
Secaucus has also decided not to pursue a lease buy back on the property.
“It didn’t pay to sell it in this market,” Gonnelli said.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.