Mayor Desiderio: ‘44,000 square feet of fun’
SEA ISLE CITY – Sea Isle City held a grand opening ceremony for the city’s new $21 million community center at noon Saturday, March 28. “We are very excited about opening this important facility. It is an amazing addition to our town,” said Mayor Leonard Desiderio. “This building is 44,000 square feet of fun.”
Hundreds of residents and visitors gathered outside the building as officials cut a ceremonial ribbon to open the center. They then explored the inside of the building, located at 4500 Central Ave. on the city’s former public school property (between 45th and 46th streets and Park Road and Central Avenue).
“The community center ushers in a new era of recreation and community activities for Sea Isle City,” Desiderio said.
Here’s a quick tour:
Step inside the community center. The main level includes a gymnasium, which features an NBA-size basketball court, six basketball nets around the gym’s perimeter, bleachers and a retractable curtain that can divide the gym floor into two spaces. The gym floor is also striped for three pickleball courts and a volleyball court. In addition, portable ping-pong tables will be available.
The main level has a large community meeting room with a stage and kitchen; an exercise room, where fitness classes will be led by certified instructors; an arts and crafts room that will be used for after-school activities and art classes; and a quiet room where people can read books, construct jigsaw puzzles and simply relax. Children with special needs can use sensory items in the quiet room.
There’s a spacious atrium lobby and an outside patio accessible from the lobby.
Walk upstairs (or take the elevator). The upper level features a conference room for civic meetings, seminars and other gatherings. There’s an elevated walking/running track with exercise equipment adjacent to it (including two stationary bicycles, two rowing machines, two elliptical machines, kettle bells and hand weights.) Special features on the upper level include a golf simulator room and a multi-ball game room. In addition, the Sea Isle City Board of Education has office space on the second level.
Ceremony attendees gave the community center five-star reviews.
Several residents noted the benefits of the inside walking/running track. “I love to walk. I can walk on the track when it’s cold, rainy, or super hot,” resident Terry Propper said. “The track will be good in wintertime,” Keith Conway said.
“The center will help the year-round community. It will keep us out of the cold,” said resident John Killeen. “It’s great to have a place for all kinds of activities,” added his wife, Michele Killeen.
“I’m excited to have the center in town,” said resident Mary Baldini, who was visiting the quiet room with her daughter Maribella.
Residents Pat and Rose McDonald said they look forward to attending AARP meetings at the center. “Our grandson will love it — using the game room and the weights — when he comes to visit,” Rose McDonald said.
General use of the community center is free for Sea Isle City property owners and year-round residents. It includes access to open gym sessions and scheduled adult basketball and volleyball sessions, as well as use of the walking/running track, the quiet room and access to free community activities, events, civic meetings and other public meetings held in the building.
Some programs and activities, such as the golf simulator room, will require fees. The center is the new home of Sea Isle City’s Recreation Office. For information on membership, hours, activities, and fees, contact the office at (609) 263-0050.
There’s free parking in the outdoor lot and the garage under the building.
Some background on the site: The parcel of land has been dedicated to public use since Sea Isle was founded in 1882. Initially, it was a wide-open stretch of land that eventually had a sand lot where children played baseball. In 1914, a “Red Brick” school building was built on the east side of the property (Central Avenue). It was replaced in the early ’70s by a building on the west side of the property (the Park Road School). Due to declining enrollment, the school closed in 2012.
After Superstorm Sandy damaged Sea Isle’s City Hall and Public Safety buildings in 2012, the Park Road School temporarily housed many of the city’s municipal employees until a new City Hall/Public Safety Building was opened in 2015. From 2015 to 2022, the school was used primarily for recreational purposes and municipal storage. The Park Road School was demolished in the spring of 2023 to make way for the future community center. The groundbreaking was held in May 2024.
Desiderio called the community center the Eighth Wonder of Cape May County. At the opening ceremony, Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski presented Desiderio, who serves as director of the Board of Commissioners, with a county proclamation congratulating Sea Isle City for the community center. “It not only strengthens Sea Isle City, but also Cape May County,” Bulakowski said.
Desiderio noted, “Building the community center didn’t happen overnight. The community center was 10 years in the making.” The planning process included community surveys, town hall meetings, an ad-hoc committee, input from Sea Isle City’s Recreation Committee, a referendum vote and other means to gather information from the public regarding the future use of the property.
“The construction of the community center was a team effort,” Desiderio said.
Desiderio told architect Henry Hengchua he should take great pride in the design of the building. He commended City Council for seeing the vision for the project, noting, “They recognized the positive impact the building would have on the community.”
Desiderio thanked community services director Katherine Custer and everyone who took part in the construction. In addition, he praised the employees of Sea Isle’s Recreation Department for developing activities and programs that would keep community center members on the move “eight days a week.”
He extended special thanks to the residents of community.
“You make the community very special. The people in Sea Isle City attended public meetings and shared their opinions as we developed plans for your community center,” he told ceremony attendees. “We are one in Sea Isle City, and together we will be stronger than ever. The community center gives us more reasons to come together as a community — as one.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by ALICE URBANSKI/For the Sentinel
