Construction of $21 Million Community Center Remains on Schedule

Construction of Sea Isle City’s $21 million community center remains on schedule and within budget as work continues through the challenging winter months, Mayor Leonard Desiderio said Tuesday while giving an update on the project.

At this point, the two-story building on Park Road is on target for completion in the fall of 2025, but winter’s normally harsh weather could be a factor with the construction timetable, Desiderio noted.

“By and large, other than the past couple weeks, we’ve had favorable weather conditions during construction of this project. While the contract does account for winter weather, let’s hope for a limited amount of rain, snow, and extreme cold over the next couple of months, as that can affect the schedule,” he said in a report to City Council during its meeting Tuesday.

In December, Desiderio joined with other city officials and local residents to celebrate the community center’s “topping off,” a major milestone marking the placement of the last steel beam in the building.

The last beam symbolically completes the community center’s steel superstructure and will allow construction crews to next pour the concrete slabs for the floors, install the roof and enclose the interior as work continues through the winter.

    Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio adds his signature to the last steel beam during the "topping off" ceremony in December.
  

By the end of this month, the contractor is expected to complete all of the steel decking, welding, and bolting of the structure, Desiderio said.

According to the construction schedule, the rooftop heating and air- conditioning units will be placed on the building in February, along with completion of the exterior wall framing and sheathing.

By the end of March, the contractor expects to complete installation of the exterior windows, doors, and roofing – creating a watertight building, Desiderio said.

“This is a key milestone, as it affects the progress of the remainder of the work inside the building,” he said in his report.

Among the amenities, the community center will have a large gymnasium, indoor walkway and workout space for recreation. It will also include space that local community groups may use for meetings, events and other activities. A theater and stage will also be included.

    An architectural rendering depicts the community center's front entrance overlooking Central Avenue. (Courtesy of Ernest Bock & Sons Inc.)
  

Architectural renderings of the community center show a glossy facade overlooking Central Avenue. A material resembling red brick will also cloak the front of the building as part of the attractive architecture to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood

Desiderio expects the project to be a centerpiece of the community for decades to come.

“I believe I can speak for all city staff that we are very excited about the opening of the Community Center and look forward to welcoming everyone in the city into what we know will become the main gathering place in town and a place to be enjoyed by all,” he said in his report.

To make room for construction of the community center, the city demolished the old Sea Isle City Public School at 4501 Park Road last year. The community center will occupy the same footprint of the old school on the block bordered by Park Road, Central Avenue, 45th Street and 46th Street.

The construction contractor, Ernest Bock & Sons Inc. of Philadelphia, has extensive experience building large projects such as Sea Isle’s community center. The company has a diversified portfolio of more than $3 billion worth of public and private projects in the Philadelphia area, New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic region during its 75-year history.

Some of its notable projects include the $100 million Camden High School, the $40 million Atlantic County criminal courthouse complex in Mays Landing, and a $233 million addition to the Montgomery County Justice Center in Norristown, Pa.

Bock & Sons also built the 227-foot-tall Ferris wheel-like attraction at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City and the Philadelphia Flyers practice facility in Voorhees, N.J.

    The community center's contractor, Ernest Bock & Sons Inc., has experience in building large public projects.