The highly anticipated center reopens after a five-year hiatus
August 25, 2023
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–On Thursday, August 24th the West Ward Recreation Center reopened after five years of renovations. In celebration, the City of Trenton hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring performances by students of the Sprout University School of Performing Arts, and three Trenton vs. Philadelphia basketball games in honor of Kobe Bryant Day at the newly restored Center.
“Many of you remember the floors were peeling and this facility’s deplorable condition was not representative of the great Capital City that we all love. We are extremely grateful that we were able to renovate this recreation center using grant funding from the County and the State,” Mayor Reed Gusciora said.
New amenities at the Center include; a teaching lab for media production, acting, t-shirt printing, a computer lab, a kitchen, new offices and restrooms, a laundry area, a new gym floor colored purple and gold in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, and new rims and nets for the basketball courts.
“This is for the City of Trenton. This is what greatness looks like. This is what you deserve and when you know you deserve something you accept nothing less and nothing less comes to you,” Trenton City Council President and West Ward Councilwoman Teska Frisby stated. “Princeton, Robbinsville, Lawrence, they are not the Capital City. We are and we’re going to show up that way, look that way, and we’re going to honor it that way.”
The most popular of the four rec centers in Trenton due to its full-sized basketball court, the West Ward offers programming five days a week, including a popular afterschool program, basketball clinics, homework help, financial literacy, STEM and Arts programs, and summer camps.
From 3-6 p.m. the center is open for kids ages 6-12 and from 6-8 p.m. for teens ages 13-18. The Center is also looking to add Saturday programming to help keep youth engaged and provide access to technology and assistance in their learning and development.
