Mayor Celebrates Opening of Stamford’s New Recreation Center

STAMFORD - Mayor David R. Martin along with other city officials celebrated the grand opening of the Stamford Recreation Star Center Saturday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony before the department’s annual Ice Cream with the Easter Bunny event. “We are very happy to have this center open. It will improve upon the excellent work of the Recreation Department and allow them to grow,” said Mayor Martin. “It makes sense for a city of our size to have a dedicated center for recreational activities, and this school will provide what we are looking for. Thank you to Laurie and her team for having the vision and for getting this done.” After the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mayor Martin greeted event attendees and congratulated city officials who worked to facilitate the city’s lease with Our Lady Star of the Sea Corp.

The Star Center, which was formerly Our Lady Star of the Sea Elementary School, is located at 1170 Shippan Avenue. The city is currently renting 8,500 of the 17,000 square-foot facility including four classrooms, a multi-purpose gymnasium, office, staff lounge, and a full industrial kitchen.

This is the first time the City of Stamford has had a central location for recreational programming. Previously, the department rented space for its programs at public schools and other private businesses. Now, with their own space, the department is able to create programming without the restrictions that come with renting other spaces like conflicting schedules and costs. With more flexible scheduling options, the department is able to offer residents more programs during the day and on weekends. Having a central location for programs also provides the department with substantial cost benefits from reduced rental fees and labor costs required to set-up and tear-down equipment throughout the city.

The Star Center lease has also allowed the department to provide additional youth employment opportunities. Overall, the department employs over 150 individuals, including many teens who work as camp counselors or lifeguards during the summer months.

Since starting the lease on January 2, the Recreation Department has been able to host 39 programs and community events, for roughly 385 participants. They have also added an eighth Summer Day Camp at the center, which will help to decrease the wait list, which was up to 200 children this past summer.

The department hopes to continue to expand their services at the Star Center including more senior, youth after-school, preschool programs as well as new summer music programs for the residents of Stamford, all of which will contribute to increased revenue for the City.