With fanfare and praise, Sea Isle City opens new community center

Mayor Leonard Desiderio ratcheted up the excitement level before an anxious crowd in the hundreds stepped inside the new Sea Isle City Community Center for their first glimpse of the gleaming $21 million building.

“You’re going to see 44,000 square feet of fun once we open the doors,” he promised everyone.

Culminating a decade of planning, designs and construction, Sea Isle celebrated the grand opening of the community center with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday led by Desiderio.

“As we know, this project has been 10 years in the making,” Desiderio said while joking that he was much taller and had a lot more hair when plans for the community center were conceived.

The two-story building is designed for the dual purpose of serving as a community center and recreation facility. It is expected to be a community centerpiece for decades to come, city officials said.

Architect Henry Hengchua, who designed the contemporary-style building, said he wanted the community center to be both attractive and inviting – allowing it to seamlessly blend in with the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

“It’s really a clean, neat building,” Hengchua said in an interview. “It has an understated elegance. It flows really well. It has to fit in well with the community. It has to be inviting, so the community can be proud of it.”

Standing on the front steps of the community center, Desiderio told Hengchua that he should take great pride in designing “this amazing building."

The glossy facade features windows that soar 20 feet high to let in plenty of natural sunlight. The design also blends materials that resemble red brick and metal to create a colorful, vibrant exterior.

    A crowd in the hundreds watches the ribbon-cutting ceremony before heading inside the building.
  

The contractor was Philadelphia-based Ernest Bock & Sons Inc., a family-owned company that has built a diversified portfolio of public and private projects in the Philadelphia area, New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic region during its nearly 80-year history.

“We are thankful for Bock’s professionalism and their hard work on this project,” Desiderio said.

Desiderio also recognized other key people for their contributions to the project, including members of City Council, Community Services Director Katherine Custer and employees in Sea Isle’s Recreation Department.

“City Council saw the vision that we had for the community center,” he said.

Desiderio called the whole project “a community effort.”

The recreation employees created an assortment of programs and activities to make sure the building is humming “eight days a week,” Desiderio said.

Moreover, Desiderio thanked Sea Isle’s residents for their patience during the nearly two years of construction on the project. Neighboring homeowners had to contend with the dust, noise, road construction and other inconveniences while the center was being built.

“We appreciate your patience and your understanding,” Desiderio told the neighbors.

    The community meeting room includes a stage.
  

To make room for the community center’s construction, the city demolished the old Sea Isle City Public School that occupied the block of Central Avenue and Park Road between 45th and 46th streets. The center’s front entrance overlooks Central Avenue.

Major parts of the building include a cavernous gymnasium featuring an NBA-size basketball court, three pickleball courts and a volleyball court. There is also an elevated running and walking track on the second floor. A fitness room will offer exercise classes.

The building also provides plenty of space for community activities. A large community meeting room includes a stage and kitchen. The community room is expected to be one of the most heavily used parts of the building for meetings, events, entertainment and other activities.

Among other community-oriented amenities, the building also has an arts-and-crafts room, a conference room and a “Quiet Room” for reading, assembling jigsaw puzzles and other serene activities.

“This is the Eighth Wonder of Cape May County,” Desiderio said while touting the community center.

    The building's facade overlooking Central Avenue mixes a number of architectural elements to give it a contemporary style.
  

Despite its array of attractions, the community center does not include a swimming pool. During a 2019 referendum, local property owners voted overwhelmingly against including an indoor pool in the center. The fear at that time was that a pool would make the project much more expensive for Sea Isle taxpayers.

During the grand opening ceremony, Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski presented Desiderio with a county proclamation congratulating Sea Isle City for the community center. In addition to serving as Sea Isle’s mayor, Desiderio is also the head of the Board of Commissioners as its director.

Bulakowski called the community center a “beautiful asset” for both Sea Isle City and Cape May County.

“It not only strengthens Sea Isle City, but also Cape May County,” he said.

Once the doors opened, hundreds of residents, well-wishers and dignitaries streamed inside for their first look.

In one of the rooms, Sea Isle resident Brynn Cifaloglio sat down with her 4-year-old son, Matthew, for a game of chess.

Although Matthew does not yet know how to play chess, he exuded supreme confidence when his mother asked him about his abilities.

“Are you going to beat me at chess?” she asked.

“Yes,” Matthew blurted out in response, eliciting laughter from his mother.

    Sea Isle City resident Brynn Cifaloglio gets ready to play a game of chess with her 4-year-old son, Matthew.
  

Donald Boyle, 86, a resident for 30 years, said he never imagined that his hometown could build such an impressive project to serve the local community.

“I was overwhelmed,” Boyle said. “It makes you proud to be a resident of Sea Isle City and all of South Jersey.”

Boyle’s 30-year-old granddaughter, Rachel Grace, took part in the grand opening festivities inside the gymnasium that included a ceremonial “first layup” on the basketball court.

“It felt awesome. I love it here,” said Grace, who is the manager for Villanova University women’s basketball team.

    Rachel Grace is joined by her grandfather, Donald Boyle, and father, Tom Grace, after she sinks one of the first layups on the basketbball court.

    Mayor Leonard Desiderio celebrates the grand opening with achitect Henry Hengchua, the community center's designer.

    Visitors are greeted by an expansive lobby with plenty of seating.

  

    Mayor Leonard Desiderio accepts a congratulatory proclamation from Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski.