MONTGOMERYVILLE – If you are a resident of Montgomery Township, you could not have missed the construction occurring right across from one of the most traveled intersections in the area. On the corner of Stump and Horsham Road sits the newest addition to Montgomery Township, the brand new Community Recreation Center. Saturday, October 24 marked the unveiling of the building for residents of all ages to come and explore all it has to offer.

Before this 40,000 square foot complex opened its doors to the public on Saturday, Township Manager Lawrence J. Gregan gave a brief welcoming to the community as well as acknowledgments to the many people involved in the project. Chairman Michael J. Fox did the honor of introducing important guests including State Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf,  District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, and County Controller Stewart J. Greenleaf, Jr

“This is another example of our continuing commitment to excellence,” Fox remarked to the community in his closing words.

Larry Gregan has been working to develop the Recreation Center since 2011 and is looking forward to what it will bring to the township as a whole.

“Our goal would be that residents would use the facility and come here to communicate with their neighbors. We have a number of spaces set up, we have a youth lounge we have a senior lounge. We just want people to feel comfortable coming here.”

When asked about the possible setbacks that could be expected in an undertaking of this multitude, Gregan had one major opponent- the pesky weather.

“It took a little bit longer than we wanted but that’s always the difficulty. We had a rough winter last year that held up some of the construction activities,” Gregan said.

No worries now, the center is up and here to stay. After the ribbon cutting ceremony unwrapped the brand new present to the township, everyone made their way into the building to check out the various things it has to offer.

Features of the center include but are not limited to: a youth and senior lounge, multi-use gym, cardio/weight room, child watch room, suspended indoor track, outdoor spray park, and studios for Zumba, yoga, and other exercise classes.

Bob Shyer, a member of the Neshaminy Falls 55 and older community, had something to say not only about himself but also other residents his age.

“I want the center to help me get healthier and stronger. I wanna do something and get them out of their chairs,” Shyer explained.

Families could be seen all over the center, pulled along by excited children who couldn’t wait to see what was behind door number two. Nicole Sparra, mother of two, was pleased with the wide range of activities.

“I’m excited that the community is providing opportunities for all generations to work together towards a healthy and fit lifestyle”, Sparra stated.

With the various programs the facility has to offer, newly employed workers were seen running the different events throughout the day. Director of Athletics/ Program Coordinator Matt Reimel highlighted the attraction for joining.

“It’s great because we don’t only attract members for sports, we have something for everyone. We’d like to build a lot of our own programs; right now we’re partnering with a lot of organizations but in the future we want to have our own programs,” Reimel explained. Overall the day was a great success for

Montgomery Township and the Recreation Center brings tremendous opportunities for community involvement. Reimel’s reaction to the opening speaks for the future of the center.

“I’m really excited about this event today, the turnout was great. People just keep coming in; we’ve gone through over a thousand hotdogs. It’s been great.”