After nearly two years of uncertainty about the future of the Lawrence Community Center, residents packed a special Township Council meeting June 8 to urge officials to move more quickly toward reopening the facility.
The building at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road has sat vacant since HomeFront relocated to another location in Lawrence Township in 2024. While residents and township officials largely agreed that the center should once again serve the community, many speakers expressed frustration with what they viewed as a slow-moving process.
“The township needs to listen to us and act appropriately,” one resident told council.
For many who spoke Monday night, the discussion was about more than a building. Residents described the center as a gathering place that helped shape generations of Lawrence Township families and provided opportunities for young people to learn, socialize and build community.
Several speakers also emphasized the center’s historical significance within Lawrence’s Black community.
Longtime resident and community activist Fred Vereen Jr. said Black residents fought to establish and preserve the center decades ago and continue to advocate for its future today.
“We are still fighting for a neighborhood center,” Vereen said. “We are still fighting for it.”
Others noted that while the center has roots in the Black community’s efforts, its programs and services benefited residents throughout Lawrence Township.
A recurring theme throughout the evening was the center’s impact on young people.
One resident recalled growing up at the facility and credited community elders with helping shape her life.
“I was led by a great group of elders who taught us more than just everyday things,” she said. “They taught us how to live and how to be good people. They taught us how to be strong, and that is why I am standing here today.”
Now a grandparent, she said she hopes future generations will have access to similar opportunities.
“I have grandchildren and I want them to know what it is like to be a part of a community and have somewhere to go,” she said. “That was our safe space.”
Another resident who attended programs at the center from preschool onward said any future use of the building should prioritize young people.
“Whatever we decide to do, it should be for the youth,” the resident said.
Residents seek action
Some speakers said they were frustrated that discussions have continued for months after a task force report was released last September.
Several residents said they appreciated opportunities for public input but wanted to see concrete action rather than additional listening sessions.
Following roughly 45 minutes of public comment, council members discussed the concerns raised and outlined what they see as the next phase of the process.
Mayor Chris Bobbitt acknowledged residents’ frustration and stressed that the township is not seeking to delay reopening the building.
“I understand the frustration and it has been closed for a really long time,” Bobbitt said. “We are here tonight not to delay, not to dismiss what has been said in the past, but to hear from you for the final time.”
Councilwoman Bonne Giglio said her views on the building’s future evolved during the process. While she initially favored using the facility primarily as a recreation center, she said public feedback changed her thinking.
“When I was put on the task force, I was initially in favor of it being turned into a recreational facility,” Giglio said. “I have since changed that based on the public comments from here and on the task force.”
Township Manager Kevin Nerwinski said the building is not expected to operate as a traditional recreation center. Instead, township officials envision a space where nonprofit organizations can provide educational, vocational, arts and cultural programming.
“It was always supposed to be open to nonprofit organizations to conduct programs,” Nerwinski said.
Bobbitt noted that federal funding that once supported many community center programs is no longer available, making partnerships with nonprofit organizations increasingly important.
“As we all know with the Trump administration they are clawing back money left and right,” Bobbitt said. “The times of the ’70s and ’80s are not coming back in terms of federal funding to support these things so we are going to look for partnerships with nonprofits.”
Next steps
By the end of the meeting, the tone had softened considerably.
One resident told council, “I feel better now than I did at the beginning of the meeting.”
Council members said Monday’s meeting would be the final public input session before moving into the implementation phase.
The next step is expected to come June 16, when council is scheduled to consider a request for proposals process for organizations interested in operating programs at the center.
Additional updates are expected later this summer, with township officials indicating further discussions could take place in August and September.
