Three years after the last book was circulated at the old Plainsboro Public Library, the reconstructed building has re-opened as the township’s new Recreation and Cultural Center. Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu and three members of the township committee attended the grand opening on Thursday, September 27, along with other elected officials and about 70 members of the community.
Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis greeted guests entering the building. He said the center has already given the town’s senior community a new venue for gatherings as it already hosted an ice cream social one week earlier. Among others at the ceremony was Shikha Rastogi, a member of Plainsboro’s Human Relations Council. Rastogi said that later this year she is planning to hold a culturally-themed event for children, possibly to showcase costumes from around the world, at Plainsboro’s newest facility.
The new recreation center features a large open space that can seat up to 200 people as well as a computer training room with 18 workstations. Computer classes for the public (mostly geared towards senior citizens) will be held on-site. The facility also features two new conference rooms that can hold meetings for up to 20 people, as well as the offices for Plainsboro’s Recreation and Community Services divisions,
The cost of the recreation and cultural center was approximately $3,223,000; most of which went into addressing basic structural needs of the old library building such as a new roof, heating and air conditioning, and siding.
At the ceremony Mayor Cantu spoke about major funding behind the new recreation center, which is expected to be primarily an amenity for the people of Plainsboro rather than a revenue-generating operation.
“This building came with the bonus of reducing the impact on our taxpayers because of the support that we received from the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders. They came through with a $1 million grant for this facility, which helped develop it into the premium structure that you see today,” Cantu said.
The mayor thanked Middlesex County Freeholder Deputy Director Ronald Rios, who attended the ceremony, and asked him to express the town’s gratitude to his fellow board members. Rios told the crowd that the $1 million in funds came from the Middlesex County open space, recreation and farmland, and historic preservation trust fund. He added that the long-term benefits of the state-of-the-art recreation center “are immeasurable.”
“My fellow freeholders and I are dedicated to making sure that Middlesex County has the best in recreational facilities and programs, which is why we are so pleased to have partnered with Plainsboro to bring you this new recreation and health center,” he said.
“It will add to the cultural and recreational offerings of Middlesex County and increase the quality of life for residents here in Plainsboro,” Rios said.
After thanking several members of Plainsboro Township’s staff including Director of Public Works Neil Blitz, Mayor Cantu acknowledged the efforts of Business Administrator Robert O. Sheehan, calling him the “captain of the ship.” Sheehan noted that Middlesex County government has been an important partner in every project that Plainsboro has undertaken during his tenure as business administrator.
One corporate giant also helped the town develop its new facility. Cantu mentioned Novo Nordisk’s $75,000 contribution to the new recreation center. “Novo made a contribution to help outfit the fitness and activities room here, which will be a real asset to the overall project,” he said.
State Senator Linda Greenstein and Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson also attended the September 27 ceremony, and they presented Plainsboro with a resolution from the New Jersey State Senate and General Assembly. Sheehan said that when the building initially opened as the town’s library in 1993, Greenstein was serving on the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education.
