Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on what will soon be the town’s new community center. Currently an underutilized municipal building at 145 Front St., and the former site of the Secaucus Recreation Center, the facility is quickly being reconfigured to be a fun and welcoming space for the young at heart – and the young.
Although the building will be used for various purposes, its future use as a teen center has drawn perhaps the most attention and support from the community. Since last year parents, activists, teens, and even some political candidates have argued that Secaucus doesn’t offer enough activities and services for teens, leaving them with little else to do but hang out in Buchmuller Park or the CVS parking lot.
To address the problem, Mayor Michael Gonnelli announced last month that the old Recreation Center would be renovated and transformed into a community center that will include designated space and activities for teens. Portions of this building haven’t been used much since the new Secaucus Recreation Center opened on Koelle Blvd. in December of 2008.
In recent weeks teams of volunteers have been working to renovate the building.
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Donations aplenty
In recent weeks teams of volunteers, including several local high school students, have been working to renovate the building to get it ready for opening day, probably some time around Labor Day.
“We’ve cleaned out the place. We painted two weeks ago,” said resident Pat Belenski, who is volunteering her time and working with the Gonnelli Administration to help get the center opened.
Michele Malcolm, Danielle Cartaxo, Bobby O’Harah, Ashay Meta, Sean Belenski, David Arcee, Rob Napolean, Leo Merino, Matt Mattola, Kevin Moncada, and Andrew Conti Jr. were among the volunteers who recently helped paint the center. Most of the teen volunteers were away last week and were unavailable to be interviewed, Belenski said.
“Right now I’m writing grants, trying to secure donations,” Belenski added. “Basically, we’re trying to secure the funds in order to promptly open the center and have what we need available.”
A number of donations have already poured in.
Walmart, Panasonic, and Best Buy were among the early contributors last month, with each company donating electronic equipment or video games. More recently Bob’s Furniture gave a gift card worth $1,200 which can be used at the store to buy furniture for the center. Home Depot donated the paint that was used to redo the walls at the center.
Individual residents and what Belenski called “mom and pop” businesses have made small monetary donations. The mother of the late Derek Lagos, a local teen who died last year, has, for example, donated a DirectTV satellite system and service, according to Mayor Gonnelli.
Currently Belenski is working on getting donations from Toys “R” Us, the Major League Baseball Network, the New York Nets, and other large corporations.
Once opened, the center will offer kids a place where they can play video games, watch movies, and participate in group sports – all without having to pay a membership fee or other charge.
“The point is to get them off the streets, get them out of the CVS parking lot, give them something to do, give them a secure space to go when they’re not at home,” Belenski said.
Last year the Secaucus Youth Alliance did a survey of teens that found that drug and alcohol use among teens in town is higher than the national average.
“Those are the kids we’re trying to reach, what I call the 60 percent in the middle, the ones that aren’t active in lots of school activities and the [community] clubs,” Belenski explained.
Adult volunteers from the community will act as chaperones.
Future plans
Thinking long-term, Belenski said she’d eventually love to see a theater group or maybe arts programs run out of the community center as well.
“But really, the center’s teen component has to be theirs,” she said. “They’ll have to make it theirs. So, I think the next step will be to do a little survey to see what they want at the center.”
Last week the mayor said he wants the “basketball court on the [building’s] second floor totally redone. I want to upgrade the kitchen…We still need some computers and furnishings.”
In addition to the teen activities on the first floor, the center will also serve other functions as well. The Secaucus Food Pantry will be stationed there, as will some senior activities, the mayor said in July. Local groups will also be allowed to use the center for organizational meetings.
Anyone who wants to make a corporate or personal donation to the community center, or volunteer, can call 201-330-2000.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.