Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today unveiled three draft concepts to revitalize the decades-old Multi-Service Center at 124 Grand St. The proposals aim to transform the aging facility into a state-of-the-art senior and recreation center featuring a community pool, gymnasium, community meeting space, and more.
The three concepts will be presented at a virtual community meeting tonight, June 29, at 6 p.m. Residents can register for the meeting at www.hobokennj.gov/multi-service-center-meeting-registration.
“During my time in public office, one of the most consistent requests I’ve heard from residents has been the need for a public pool,” said Mayor Bhalla. “Today, I’m excited to share that our proposed renovation of the Multi-Service Center includes this long sought after amenity, and I look forward to sharing these options with the public. After hearing resident and stakeholder feedback about the best place in Hoboken for a pool, the Multi-Service Center became the most logical choice. I am also excited that this new center will become a new, state-of-the-art location that will add additional recreational space, community gathering locations, a new senior center, and much more. I encourage residents to come out and provide community input on these proposals at our upcoming public meeting."
“I am excited to see this new vision of the Multi-Service Center, which will be updated to better meet the needs of our community in terms of modernized recreational facilities, additional meeting spaces, a new senior center, and more, come to fruition,” said Council President Emily Jabbour. “I look forward to hearing feedback from the community on the proposed concepts- especially regarding the options for the positioning of the community pool.”
“I am thrilled to finally announce the plans for a new Multi-Service Center in the First Ward, which includes a community pool and a range of amenities catering to seniors, young families, and adults,” said 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco. “We are actively exploring funding opportunities for this project to ensure its successful realization. Furthermore, we are committed to keeping the community informed and involved throughout the process.”
“Hoboken residents have made it clear they want a pool, and a pool is what we will deliver!” said 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos. “Working in partnership with the Mayor and the Council, we will work to make this a reality for our community, as well as a new dynamic Multi-Service Center, new recreation facilities, community meeting space, and a new senior center. The new facility will provide for residents’ well-being, foster community engagement, and honor the contributions of our seniors. Working collaboratively with the administration and my fellow colleagues to make this vision come true will be a priority in the years to come!”
“Finally! Our own community Pool! After years of advocating for a pool we have this amazing opportunity to make it a reality,” said Council Vice President Michael Russo. “The Multi Service Center pool will be a major investment in residents’ quality of life providing both leisure and recreation opportunities to residents from across the City. I look forward to working with my neighbors in the third ward and throughout Hoboken to design a multi-service center that provides for all our recreation needs. This is a testament to the Mayor and Council’s dedication and their willingness to build our community and create spaces that bring us together.”
“Many 5th Ward residents have expressed to me the importance of Hoboken’s finally building a municipal pool — for recreation as well as for swim lessons,” said 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen. “It is exciting to be actively considering an outdoor community pool as an element of a redesigned Multi-Service Center. I look forward to supporting this important, new plan.”
“These designs are incredible,” said Councilman At – Large Joe Quintero. “I'm excited to see us get one step closer to having public pool for our residents and a top-notch facility every member of the community can use.”
All three concepts incorporate both indoor and outdoor recreation and community facilities within the current boundary of 124 Grand St.
The first concept, Stacked Recreation with Rooftop Aquatics, proposes a new Multi-Service Center building with spaces for a day care, senior services, café, library, gymnasium, multi-purpose community rooms, and municipal offices as well as an outdoor rooftop 25-meter swimming pool and children’s play area. An open-air canopied structure with multiple levels of outdoor recreation, or recreational pavilion, is proposed for the remainder of the site. The recreational pavilion would contain a multi-purpose hockey rink on the ground floor, a basketball court, and four pickleball courts on the second floor, and the rooftop would feature an aquatics center comprised of a wading pool and splash pad next to the swimming pool, and a turf field.
The second concept, Pavilions in the Park, proposes a new Multi-Service Center building with an indoor 25-meter swimming pool on the ground floor and spaces for a day care, senior services, café, library, performance space, gymnasium, multi-purpose community rooms, and municipal offices as well as a community garden and four pickleball courts on the rooftop of the building. The western portion of the site would consist of a mix of outdoor public spaces (plazas, natural playground, and splash pad) and two smaller open-air recreational pavilions with space for a wading pool, half basketball court, and up to two pickleball courts.
The third concept, Raised Recreation, proposes a new Multi-Service Center building with a covered, open-air multi-purpose hockey rink on the ground-level, space for a day care, senior services, library space, multi-purpose community rooms, performance space, gymnasium, and municipal offices, and recreational spaces for up to three pickleball courts and a community garden on the rooftop. The western portion of the site would consist of an outdoor wading pool, indoor 25-meter pool, and a rooftop natural playground.
The project team will use public feedback gathered from the June 29 virtual meeting, the July 6 in-person meeting at 11 a.m. with senior citizens at the Multi-Service Center, and a future online survey to create a final concept design for the Multi-Service Center in the coming months. Based on the final concept design, various cost estimates will be provided to the public.
For more information on the Multi-Service Center revitalization project, go to hobokennj.gov/mscrevitalization.
The City will present three concept designs for the revitalization of the Multi-Service Center, each of which includes the city’s first public pool, on Thursday, June 29.
