The idea of developing a community center in Englewood has been with us for over 30 years. Residents of the City fondly remember their positive experiences in places like Community House, which no longer exists. In its absence, a void has been left. Most recently, the 2014 City of Englewood Master Plan memorialized the desires of Englewood residents to have a centralized community center, something the City has been unable to provide. Such a community center is “an aspiration far more than a high-quality recreation facility but rather a social, cultural, educational, and recreational center.” (City of Englewood NJ Master Plan 2014, page 110)  

A community center would be catered toward the needs of residents to include youth activities, particularly for after school; a space for meaningful interactions between Englewood’s diverse residents; and activities for our growing population of vibrant seniors, allowing them to “age in place.”

In addition, a community center would strengthen one of Englewood’s most valuable assets - its diversity. There is a need and deep desire among Englewood’s residents to become a more connected community. Residents want to get to know one another and live their lives together – regardless of age, ethnicity, religious tradition, and financial status. A community center provides a place for this to become reality.

To put it simply, a community center is a gathering place for residents to participate in social, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. Its offerings are based upon the needs and desires of the community.  

Community centers provide a shared space where people can come together and engage in a wide variety of activities.  

They can serve numerous purposes by providing a(n):

• Site for community-wide celebrations

• Public meeting space

• Meeting space for local clubs and volunteer activities

• Social gathering location

• Rental space for private events

• Cultural arts center

• Indoor recreational facility

• Indoor entertainment venue

• A place of relief in times of community tragedies, such as Hurricane Sandy

A robust community center responds to the needs of the community in which it is located. These needs may change over time, so programming would continue to change as well.

We have taken the time to listen to the community’s thoughts and wishes over the last 18 months, and you have let us know what it is that you would like to see in a community center. There were several common responses that we received regarding the types of programming you would like offered. These included: 

• After school youth programming

• Young adult programming

• Family oriented programming

• Senior programming

• Recreational programming

• Arts programming

• Adult education

• Library services

• Job training

• Co-working space

• Banquets

• Performing arts events (music, theater, spoken word)

• Spaces to display work of local artists and showcase their talents

• Social gatherings

Yes! We have had ongoing discussions with various Englewood-based nonprofit agencies, and the hope and expectation is that they would bring their programs to the community center to expand their current programming. This would be at the full discretion of these organizations.  

Englewood has some of the strongest and best organizations housed right here. For many years, they have provided high quality programming throughout the City including youth activities, support for parents, arts education, and senior programming. They have and continue to support our most vulnerable residents and bring pride and added value to our community.  

Nevertheless, a quick survey of Englewood’s organizations always lead to the same response - “we don’t have enough space to do all we would like to do.” Our vision for a community center is to provide the physical space that these valuable local organizations need to grow their programs, expand their impact, and reach many more residents. 

We also have had interest from other non profit organizations outside of the city that are interested in potentially expanding services and programs to Englewood.  We believe the community center will further attract new programs and nonprofit agencies to Englewood that will meet community needs that are not currently being met.  

While the community center would certainly remain available and open to all organizations serving the community of Englewood, it would be up to each organization to decide whether or not bringing their programs to the community center would enhance their mission. 

This would be a decision for the City to make. We have had ongoing conversations with the Parks and Recreation Department, as well as the Englewood Public Library, to gauge their interest in bringing programs to the community center.

Since an effective community center functions as a central hub for its residents, it is our hope that the City will be able to envision this center as a space to further its programs and mission.

A well-designed community center prioritizes flexibility by creating many multi-purpose spaces. Designing the center in this way maximizes the ways in which the center can be used for a wide variety of programs, while simultaneously allowing the spaces to adapt as the needs of the community over time. 

At this time, we have plans to include an array of meeting spaces--some with hard, cleanable surfaces amenable for arts programs--and others that are carpeted and have more technology embedded in them to accommodate adult education, job training, etc. We also have plans for a recreational space on the 2nd floor with a full-sized gym, in addition to another smaller gym on the basement level that would be designed for more intense physical activities.  

Many of the spaces will offer flexible wall systems in order to accommodate larger or smaller groups, which will depend on the specific needs of the organizations using the space.  

Absolutely! We deeply value the diversity that is represented across this community, and as part of the design process, we look forward to engaging in in-depth discussions with the community. We want to ensure that all residents feel welcome in the community center and that their unique needs, such as the availability of separate Kosher/Halal food prep spaces, are met. In addition, because we understand that different religious or cultural groups may have strong preferences toward gathering on certain days, we will make sure that the building is available for use 7 days a week.

The space in the community center will be designed to maximize flexibility for a wide array of community uses and to attract programs that can meet the varying needs of our diverse community.

Yes! We have had ongoing discussions with various Englewood-based nonprofit agencies, and the hope and expectation is that they would bring their programs to the community center to expand their current programming. This would be at the full discretion of these organizations.  

We also have had interest from other non profit organizations outside of the city that are interested in potentially expanding services and programs to Englewood.  We believe the community center will further attract new programs and nonprofit agencies to Englewood that will meet community needs that are not currently being met.

There are three primary ways through which communities create and operate community centers.

The first way is government-funded. In this structure, the municipality pays for the capital costs and the ongoing operating expenses of a community center. This is similar to how Teaneck operates its Richard Rodda Community Center. As we understand it, the City of Englewood is unable to financially support this option, and while many residents are in favor of establishing a community center, there is pushback against the increase in property taxes that would be necessary to pay for the capital costs of building and operating a community center.

The second way is for a nonprofit to raise capital costs and then operate the center, ensuring there are sufficient funds for ongoing operation of the facility.

The third way is through a public / nonprofit partnership in which the city brings significant but finite resources to the project while the nonprofit leads the overall effort to raise the remaining necessary capital costs and fund the ongoing operating costs of the community center.

We believe a sole purpose community based nonprofit focused exclusively on operating the community center would be the best structure to govern the center.

We are asking that the City of Englewood provide the physical property as its contribution to the project. This would be a significant contribution to the community center and would represent the public / nonprofit partnership that will be needed to bring this project to fruition.   

In turn, Metro will assume the responsibility of raising the $12 - 15 million necessary to renovate and develop the center and procure the additional resources necessary to operate the center.  

This is a true public / nonprofit partnership. We absolutely need the City to contribute the property into this project and cannot imagine another scenario through which we could make this community center a reality.

We estimate the capital cost of the project to be around $12 - 15 million.  

While the physical exterior of Liberty School is structurally sound, the building itself is over 100 years old and needs significant restoration to make it functional.  The building will require a 5,000 sf. - 3 story addition (15,000 sf total) off of the backside to bring it up to code for fire and ADA accessibility.  

We are assuming in our costs:

• Lead and asbestos abatement

• Complete demolition of the interior non-load bearing walls and ceilings. This is required to remediate environmental issues in the building and to remove all current building systems like electrical, water, HVAC which are antiquated and beyond saving for reuse

• Replacement of all windows  

• Repair and replacement of the roof

• Adding a 15,000 sf addition (See “Why is an addition to the building necessary?”)

• Restoring and modernizing the entire building to be a state-of the art community center

A number of factors come into play.

• The most important reason is to bring the building up to code for fire exits and ADA accessibility. To ensure we have the circulation necessary, an elevator and stairwell will need to be installed. 

• Cutting an elevator and stairwell into the existing structure would be prohibitively expensive and significantly cut into the program space.

• Adding 3 floors of 5,000 sf per floor will add an extraordinary amount of functionality to the building. First, it will expand the small second floor gym into a full-sized gym space. In addition, it will allow for the creation of a rear entrance and greeting area to the building on the first floor, which would, in turn, add 5,000 sf of highly functional space to the floor.

The property is currently owned by the City. What entity would own the property in the future is an open question that would need to be worked out.

Our assumption is that once designated as a community center, the use of the building is set in perpetuity for the benefit of the community.  In others words, it would remain a community center for many decades into the future.  

This means that the focus should be less on the actual ownership of the property and more on making sure that the legal structures of use and ownership are set in ways that allow the building to be maintained as a community center. Metro would also need a legal structure to ensure that its proposed limited use of the building is maintained into the future.

No. Community centers are really expensive to build and operate. They are created exclusively for the benefit of the community, and in turn, there are mostly costs associated with community centers and limited revenue to offset these costs. 

So this community center, also, will not be generating any profit. It will be operated by a community-based nonprofit for the benefit of the community 

It would earn revenue for certain kinds of activities to offset some of its costs.  It would charge fees, for example, to other nonprofit organizations to recover some of the operating costs of the facility.  

Also, it is worth mentioning that once resources are invested in the building to renovate it, they become investments that are unrecoverable. In other words, they become assets of the community. This would only change if the City allowed for the building and property to be converted into something else entirely.  After it’s built, our assumption is that it would not be in the interests of the City to ever convert the property for other uses.

The name of the community center will be decided by you, the community! We will develop a process through which the people of this community are able to give their input on what would be the best name for this center. Proposed names so far include “The Russell C. Major Community Center” and “Englewood Community Center.”

Liberty School is an extraordinary building, rich with history and architectural significance, that serves as an anchor for downtown Englewood. We see the preservation of the building as one of the most important benefits to creating a community center at Liberty School. 

Our plan would be to restore the exterior of the building to its original condition. The only change that we are proposing that would impact the facade is to alter a portion of the rear of the building to allow for the 5,000 sf x 3 floor addition that is needed to make the building functional.

Based on the age of the building and our preliminary assessment, there are two primary environmental issues that need to be addressed in the building: lead-based paint and asbestos.

We plan to hire a  certified demolition / remediation company to handle these issues. Given that the interior space will need to be demolished down to the brick walls to remove the outdated electrical, water and HVAC systems, once this stage of the project is complete, these environmental issues will be fully addressed.

We will also need to address the potential for oil or gas spills given the building’s use of boilers.

The operating costs of the community center will be the responsibility of the nonprofit organization established to manage the center.

We are proposing two entrances, both mid-building.  We assume that most pedestrians will prefer to enter the building through the historic front entrance off of Tenafly Road.  

With the addition in the back, we are proposing a second entrance through the rear parking lot that will facilitate easier access for those driving to the community center.

Yes! Part of the reason why renovating an existing structure like Liberty School is so costly is that a lot of work is required to ensure that the building is ADA compliant.   

This is one of the main reasons that we are proposing an addition to the back of the building as this would accommodate an elevator and handicap accessible rear entrance.

Englewood Community Center, Inc. would facilitate the use of the community center by the community, community-based nonprofits, and public entities, and would not be the primary programmer for the facility.

Most nonprofit programs are limited by lack of access to good and affordable physical program space. Once space is secured, resources are far more accessible. We would expect that the space would be utilized first by nonprofits based in Englewood. But it would also look to bringing in resources from beyond the City to ensure a full basket of programs are available based on community needs.

Once the building is complete, we see the challenge of programming out the space as a “doable” task. These “third space” facilities, not unlike public markets, for example, take a period of 3-4 years to produce what makes most sense in terms of programs and space utilization. But given that we would have solved the most difficult part of program delivery (i.e. creating affordable physical program space), there will be high demand for the space over time.

ECC, Inc.’s role would be to curate the portfolio of programs available, ensure access to the facility by other organizations, and would consider itself as a “programmer of last resort.”

This is a “worst case” scenario for the City and the community and so it is a good question to ask.

First, the $20 million capital investment in the community center, once completed, does not go away.  Englewood would have a beautiful, state of the art community center regardless of what may happen to the operating nonprofit.

Any number of scenarios are possible including the most likely that another operating nonprofit would take over the operation of the facility.

Two extenuating factors make this “worst case” scenario unlikely. First, Metro is committed to subsidizing the operating cost of the community center, especially during the start-up phase. The expectation is that the governing nonprofit, Englewood Community Center, Inc., will eventually become self-sufficient over time from other sources of revenue.

Second, Englewood Community Center, Inc. is not going to staff a significant amount of programming itself so its operating budget should be sustainable.

Metro currently holds its worship services at Grieco Elementary School. We use both the auditorium and small gym, along with many of the classrooms throughout the school.

Metro would use the community center space in a similar way on Sunday mornings.  

Currently, Metro has a system in place that allows them to bring whatever we need out of storage, set up for the morning, hold our services and student ministry activities, then pack everything up and put it back into storage.

This would be similar to how Metro would use the community center on Sunday mornings.

Metro will also have our office located in a designated portion of the building.

No.   

Faith-based organizations will always be welcome to use the facility and bring with them whatever functional or decorative items that they desire to suit their needs.  Once the event or program is completed for the day, it would be the expectation that all such items would be then removed so that the space could be used for other community needs.

This would apply to Metro as well.