The city of Englewood, New Jersey, will unveil its concept for a community and recreation center and hear from residents. The public hearing will be held Thursday, the 12th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the elementary school at 50 Durie Avenue. The candidate sites and uses in the Master Plan are earlier recommendations, separate from this design concept.
The city of Englewood, New Jersey, will present its design concept for a planned community and recreation center to residents and seek their input. According to Patch Englewood, the public hearing will take place Thursday, the 12th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Dr. John Grieco Elementary School (50 Durie Avenue). According to the city's announcement, architects will explain the facility concept and take comments from residents.
The idea of a center has been discussed for some time. According to Patch, in the Master Plan revised in May 2025, the city recommended investigating whether Liberty School could be repurposed for public use as a community center. During the Master Plan process, participants proposed preserving and restoring the building as a multipurpose facility covering community, cultural, recreational and performing arts activities, as well as senior services.
Other proposals included affordable housing, including senior-friendly housing, mental health counseling, financial assistance, job training, a youth center, a music center, computer services and after-school programs. The Master Plan document also states that residents showed support in a 2024 survey and workshops for converting Liberty School into a community center or senior center. A new city hall, an assisted living facility and workforce housing for households earning 80% to 120% of the area median income were also mentioned as other possible uses for the building.
Liberty School was not the only candidate site. The Master Plan recommended examining other parcels in and around downtown, and it also offered one option of placing the center above the new Wright Arena and public pool building to be built at Mackay Park. To help cover program operating costs, it also recommended partnerships with organizations such as bergenPAC and Englewood Health. However, Patch reported that these items are only recommendations from an earlier planning stage and are not the confirmed facilities or location of the concept to be presented at the hearing on the 12th.