By Allison Perrine
RED BANK – Five new concept plans to upgrade the Red Bank Senior Center were reviewed by the members of the borough’s redevelopment agency March 23.
The proposals and cost estimates, drafted by DMR Architects, are still in the beginning stages. However, they gave board members a chance to hear how the public feels about fixing up or rebuilding the senior center in its existing location at 80 Shrewsbury Ave. or moving it to Count Basie Fields.
“We are trying to balance as much as we can. We are a town limited on space and resources, so compromise is always key,” said Ziad Shehady, borough administrator. “That’s the point of these meetings.”
Plans were presented by Pradeep Kapoor, director of sustainable design and a partner with DMR Architects. The first plan would be to keep the senior center at 80 Shrewsbury Ave., repairing it to bring it back up to code, and getting it up and running as soon as possible. Repairs would include new flooring, lighting, painting, demolition of the existing ceiling, furnishing, cabinet replacements, insulation replacements, signage, plumbing, fire alarm devices and making sure the building is ADA-compliant.
Basic renovations would cost about $770,000; additional upgrades – such as new windows and renovated restrooms – would increase the costs. A replacement of the existing mechanical system would cost about $200,000.
The second option would include all of the base work as the first option but feature more functionality with enlarged rooms including the office area, lounge and community room, as well as folding par titions in meeting rooms. This would bring the cost to an estimated $1.5 million.
The third option would also keep the senior center on Shrewsbury Avenue, but it would include adding a recreation center to the site as well. The existing building would be demolished and a new, three-story building would be erected in its place. The lower level would have parking, with 45 spaces surrounding the building as well as a drop-off area at the front. According to Shehady, before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 60 to 80 percent of the senior center’s parking lot was utilized during peak hours, depending on the programming. The borough also offers busing to and from the senior center so parking has not historically been an issue.
Visitors would access the senior center by elevator to the second floor, where there would be three meeting rooms, a kitchen, storage space, administrative offices, a lobby, lounge area, community room, restrooms and an outdoor terrace. It would total about 11,000 square feet. The third-floor recreation center would be about 9,400 square feet and would include a multipurpose room, lobby, offices, storage space, program room and bathrooms. The multipurpose room is intended for program activities and community groups, according to Shehady.
“Right now, they (community groups) don’t have much space. We’re at the mercy of some of the schools and their availability to allow us to host our kids in our kid programs in the summer and even spring and fall,” said Shehady.
This plan would be the most expensive because it would include demolition of the existing building and construction of another three-story facility with an elevator and two staircases, as well as on-site parking. Kapoor estimated it would cost $9.7 million and could take about 14 months to complete.
The fourth option, and possibly the least popular among resident attendees who voiced their opinions during the meeting, would be to relocate the senior center to Count Basie Park under one larger building with a recreation center. The left side of the building would be designated for senior center functions and would include a community room, office, outdoor patio, kitchen area, snack stand that sells inside the building to the lobby area and outside to the ball field, a meeting room for seniors with dividing partitions and bathrooms.
Leading to the other side of the building would be bathrooms accessible from both the outside and inside of the building. Then, on the right side, recreation functions would be available including a gymnasium, bleachers, gym storage and a maintenance area.
“This is all conceptual, but the way it was laid out allows for sufficient separation and security between different operations so that way folks using the gymnasium or coming of f of the field can stay separated from the community room when there’s events (or) activities going on for either the seniors or the children,” said Shehady. He added that there would be potential to generate revenue at this location by renting out space for birthday parties, celebrations, indoor dodgeball and other activities.
According to Kapoor, this single-story option would include new building costs but no elevator or staircases. The total cost could be an estimated $8.6 million. The fifth and final option could be used if the senior center stays in its existing location. This option shows plans for the recreation center to be erected where the existing basketball court is at Count Basie Park. It would include an entrance into a gymnasium as well as a long lobby area, bleachers, storage space, restrooms and utility space. It would likely cost an estimated $5 million in total.
Some residents spoke against the removal of the existing basketball court at Count Basie Park during public comment. That included parent and recreation team coach Craig Nolan, who said there “is definitely an issue” with removing the outdoor basketball courts.
“They are packed. I’m there three nights a week,” he said. “There are existing baseball fields that are not utilized at Basie, so using those baseball fields for possibly a concrete outdoor basketball court with lighting could be an alternative.” He added that he is open-minded to the ideas and is a “big supporter of change and things that are new.”
Resident Cindy Burnham said it would be “a crime” to remove the courts at Count Basie Park and noted that there is already limited court space available throughout the borough. But tensions rose during the rest of her comments when she questioned whether it would even be possible to construct a building at Count Basie Park since the park was previously built and funded with Green Acres monies through the state Department of Environmental Protection. She noted that while it would be consistent with Green Acres policies to build a community or recreation center on funded parkland, it would not be consistent to construct a senior center there.
“How do you propose to build a building on Count Basie Park, given that you’re going against Green Acres?” she asked. After a period of silence, the zoning board chair asked Shehady to respond to her question.
“I don’t wish to answer Ms. Burnham’s question, chairman,” said Shehady, as he said he did not want to get into “a back-and-forth” with her. After Burnham finished speaking, Shehady said to the chairman, “Ms. Burnham has a track record of incorrectly citing facts, letters and other proclamations from sources that she gets. She’s done it on a number of occasions.” He told the board members he would find out if her question had merit and would report back soon.
Resident Tiffany Harris echoed concerns similar to Burnham’s regarding the outdoor basketball courts at Count Basie Park. She said at night the courts are “packed with people playing.” If the outdoor courts are removed, Harris is concerned visitors would not have access to the indoor courts.
Resident Ben Forest said he also favored the first two options the most but was happy to hear the architect’s other ideas. He felt a combined facility at Count Basie Park would be too large and would not flow nicely, but it would be a nice spot for just the recreation center. Plus, a ranch-style senior center would drive down costs and be easier to access for some of its users.
“Having everything on one floor for seniors certainly makes a lot of sense to me,” he said.
Resident Nancy Blackwood said she liked all of the concept drawings and doesn’t have a preference. “Anything at this point,” she said. Her husband Phil Blackwood agreed and thanked the board and for reaching out to staff members of the senior center and listening to their views on what should happen. He hopes the board listens to what the majority of those staff members said.
The cost estimates will be sent to a borough financial advisor for his input, which will be addressed at a future meeting.
This article was originally published in the April 1-7, 2021 edition of The Two River Times.
