January 28th 2022

The Sea Isle City Council introduced a $20 million bond ordinance Tuesday to fund the construction of Sea Isle City’s proposed community recreation center, representing the most significant step yet for a project that has been discussed for the past three years.

A public hearing and final vote on the ordinance are scheduled for the Feb. 8 Council meeting. At that time, members of the public will be able to express their support or opposition to the funding plan.

The bond ordinance is the most important development so far for a project that began in 2019, when Council gave Mayor Leonard Desiderio formal authorization to move forward with the community center.

The city is already working with an architect on the final designs for the project. Once the bond ordinance receives final approval to put the funding in place, the city will be able to seek competitive bids from construction contractors in several months.

In the latest tentative timetable for the project, Desiderio said he hopes the city will break ground by summer or September at the latest. Construction is expected to take about 18 months to complete, which would put the grand opening sometime in 2024, city officials say.

“We want to do it right. We’re in no rush,” Desiderio said in an interview after the Council meeting.