Renovated recreation building to serve as community center.
By: Alec Moore
Seniors in town will have a new place to hang out this fall.
Through a joint partnership between the borough and the Somerset Valley YMCA, Manville’s recreation building just off Bridge Street in the Lost Valley will become home to a new community center once renovations have been completed.
Efrain Centano, the Somerset Valley YMCA’s chief executive officer, said the borough and YMCA spent roughly one year organizing the collaborative programs that will comprise the offerings at the community center.
"We’re delighted to have this opportunity to branch out to other communities, and we’re delighted to be coming to Manville," said Mr. Centano. "We’re going to be offering a series of senior programs during the day that will focus largely on health and wellness issues."
He added that tentative plans are in the works to add a joint teen center and after-school program to the satellite YMCA program as well.
Mayor Angelo Corradino said the collaboration between the YMCA and the borough is another example of the borough maximizing services offered to residents through a shared services agreement. Manville has shared services agreements in place with neighboring communities for health services and code enforcement. The borough also participates in a countywide Department of Public Works shared services program in which communities loan out and borrow vehicles and equipment.
"This was all done through a shared services agreement that will be beneficial for our youth and our seniors at no expense to our taxpayers," Mayor Corradino said.
Renovation work on the recreation building began eight months ago and is expected to cost just over $100,000, according to borough officials. The project has a target completion date of late September or early October.
Kim Decker, operations director for the Somerset Valley YMCA, said she believes that the teen center would offer a safe alternative for borough youth once the community center is up and running.
"They’re going to be supervised, but not too supervised, and it will give them a place to go so they don’t have to hang out on the streets," said Ms. Decker, who noted that the teens would be supervised by adults.
The YMCA also hopes to implement an after-school program, open to children in grades six through eight, at the recreation building once renovation work has been completed, Ms. Decker said.
The YMCA already has established an after-school program at the Roosevelt School, Ms. Decker said. The after-school program primarily would provide students with homework assistance and offer constructive activities such as arts and crafts, and leadership clubs.