Wayne Community Center's Reopening Pushed Back Weeks After Fire

WAYNE, NJ — Weeks after an electrical fire caused damage to the Wayne Community Center, its initial reopening date has been pushed back just over a month.

On Monday, Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano made an announcement regarding the process of reopening the Wayne Community Center, located at 1 Pike Drive.

On July 29, the building suffered an electrical fire that caused damage, deeming the building uninhabitable. While smoke filled the center and prompted an evacuation, nobody was injured as a result. The fire was promptly extinguished.

Shortly after, Mayor Vergano said that the center would reopen on Sept. 1. In that time, the town's summer day camp, as well as the Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, were temporarily relocated. The town also canceled all of its Community Center programs, as well as postponed the collection of donations to the town's food bank.

Since the fire, the center's conduits, electric wiring, and furniture have been replaced.

However, Vergano said that PSE&G decided to convert its 1976 transformer to an updated, newer model. That installation is slated for next week, Vergano said Monday.

Once the new transformer is installed, the center's outdoor area and basement will be cleaned up.

The center's new reopening date is Oct. 3.

"Our only goal has been to operate a safe facility, and we're certainly blessed that no one was injured," Vergano said. "Thank you for your patience during this time... I know it's been tough being two months without a facility."