- A revitalization project at Alburtis Area Community Center and its new board have brought new life, restoration and new events to the meeting place
- Outdoor improvements and Wi-Fi installation already have occurred, with more projects planned
- The community center board is taking the lead on many new events, including the Community Days and Halloween Parade for the small borough
ALBURTIS, Pa. — With a fresh group of leadership, new events and updates coming to Alburtis Area Community Center, the building's leaders are looking to rekindle the community's relationship with the center, and re-examining what it can offer.
The community center's website states that with the exterior facelift, "phase 1" of improvements has been completed, giving the building a fresh painting completed in July and exterior improvements that it calls a "MUCH needed and LONG overdue facelift."
The community center also recently reworked the lower Little League field and restored its softball program.
"This is just the beginning to everything we have planned to revitalize and upgrade at the AACC and the surrounding grounds!" the website states, noting any projects or upgrades will not affect any rentals.
Community center President Richard Hausman said most of the board is new, and with that has come a lot of energy toward improving it and introducing new possibilities to the center and the community.
"Just things to get the community involved in and keep things new and exciting," Hausman said. "It takes a lot of people to run something like this and keep it, not necessarily successful, but good for the community."
'Keep things looking good'
Hausman said painting the exterior alone cost about $18,000.
Borough Councilman Hector Moss, the Alburtis Area Community Center coordinator, said more aesthetic improvements could be on the way.
"We're looking to possibly get some landscaping done in front of the building, add some awnings," Moss said. "Just kind of improve the center's overall aesthetic to make it more of a pleasing atmosphere, not only for our rentals but for our community events, as well."
"It's awesome, just from when I started to where we're at now, just driving by the outside of the building. The help and the want of updating and keeping things looking good, has been more recent."Alburtis Community Center President Richard Hausman
Hausman said that in the near future, the center also hopes to replace the curtains and upgrade the floors in the bathroom to continue the revitalization efforts.
He said that while some repairs and work were done year ago, the exterior developments and the energy that led to it have been a big change.
"It's awesome, just from when I started to where we're at now, just driving by the outside of the building," Hausman said. "The help and the want of updating and keeping things looking good, has been more recent."
The community center also is taking suggestions and feedback about future programming via a form on its website.
The form states, "2023 does have some new fun activities in the works, but we cannot do it without the community's help, suggestions, and volunteers."
New events and new ambitions
The community center, which currently operates a public pool, bingo nights, dance classes, rentals and a baseball program, now is looking to be in the business of hosting a larger-scale community.
The board now is discussing plans for the borough's holiday festival, and bringing the new Halloween parade, which was run by a team of external volunteers last year, under the leadership of the community center.
Earlier this year, the community center's leadership held the first large-scale community day event in June, with live music, a car show, food trucks and various other activities.
"Living in the borough for almost 24 years, I don't remember anything of this magnitude taking place at the actual community center itself," Moss said at the time.
Moss joined as coordinator in April and emphasized the new leadership and board that formed last year at the center, which also includes another borough council member, Ashlynn Rivera, as vice president.
Moss said he hopes the events can become annual staples of the community and that people can see the work the new board is doing and rekindle or start their relationship with the center — which has already begun to happen.
"It's been very refreshing to hear the support, all the positive feedback, how people are kind of re-energized. A lot of people that are offering to volunteer for different services, for different events."Alburtis Area Community Center Coordinator Hector Moss
"It's been very refreshing to hear the support, all the positive feedback, how people are kind of re-energized," Moss said. "A lot of people that are offering to volunteer for different services, for different events."
Hausman noted the importance the center can hold for people, and the need for community events at a time many can feel increasingly disconnected.
"I don't think you see enough of community anymore," Hausman said. "I grew up in Allentown and I was involved with the YMCA and local baseball, stuff like that, and stuff with school.
"I don't think that's something that's as big as it used to be, just the overall community involvement.
"This is a little town, Alburtis, but it's nice to see and nice to hear when people come out."
And with all of the new events, the community center still looks forward week after week to its Friday night bingo.
