Politics & Government

Chisholm Center Grand Opening Set for Dec. 12

Festivities begin at 11 a.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony set for 11:25 a.m.

The Township of Springfield is pleased to announce the grand opening of the 'Senior Wing' at the Chisholm Community Center. A celebration, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony, will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 at the newly-renovated center, located at 100 S. Springfield Avenue.

Township Administrator Anthony Cancro said he and Recreation Director Michael Tennaro are looking forward to presenting seniors with the updated space, which boasts a working fireplace in the entryway welcome area. 

New floors, window treatments and freshly-painted walls give the Senior Wing a clean and airy feel. Furniture and televisions will be delivered and installed Friday in time for the grand opening festivities. 

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Renovating the 'Senior Wing' is the first of two projects planned for the Chisholm Center, which originally served as a grammar school when it was built in the late 1920s to early 1930s. The 'Youth Wing' will be renovated in 2014, Cancro said. 

At a cost of approximately $350,000, which the Township began setting money aside for since 2011, Cancro said, the Senior Wing includes a "relaxation room" with a television, a library, and tables for card playing. The room also features an ADA- (American Disabilities Act) compliant bathroom. A kitchen, with "top of the line" appliances, was the room deemed most important by seniors, Cancro and Tennaro agreed. The spacious facility will serve as the main area used by seniors for Bingo and other gatherings. The Seidel family, of Springfield, is donating a piano, which is expected to be delivered and tuned in time for the big debut. 

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The room is accessible from the back parking lot, where a new ramp was recently installed. Cancro explained that, while digging up the ramp during the summer, construction workers discovered some issues, including a sinkhole, no one was expecting, requiring a structural engineer to assess the situation and additional construction to be done. 

"That ramp will be here long after any of us," Cancro joked. 

The Township received a grant from Union County, with the help of Freeholder and Springfield resident Bruce Bergen, who is expected to attend the opening Thursday, to fund the reconstruction of the ramp.

Also on the list of grand opening attendees will be the Jonathan Dayton High School choir, Springfield Mayor David Amlen and Township Committee members. Hot food and refreshments will be served. 

Guests who are able to comfortably cross the street are asked to park in Temple Sha’arey Shalom's parking lot. Those requiring nearer access are welcome to park in the Chisholm parking lot. 

Check back with Patch next week for photos of the new space and coverage of the grand opening celebration.


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