JCC Preparing for New 'Campus'

The Jewish Community Center on the Hudson has its eyes set on a grand redesign that will make it one of the largest community centers in the county.

Ever since acquiring the former General Motors Training Center in April 2009, JCC has slowly been gearing-up for the most significant metamorphosis in its 80-year history.

"The goal is to create a sort of community campus, to expand what we can offer" said JCC Executive Director, Frank Hassid.

Located directly next to the current JCC facility on South Broadway, the 42,500 square-foot building is ideally situated to allow for a massive expansion of the JCC in terms of size and programing.

The JCC is now in the process of formalizing plans for the overhaul of the building and the 5.5 acres of property it rests on.

"We know the various pieces," Hassid said. "But we don't know what will be changed physically in the building yet."

Preliminary plans call for a gym, pool and fitness center to become the core of the new facility. The JCC is also planning on taking advantage of the building's performance spaces and teaching rooms to offer more arts, education, and senior programing.

An existing industrial kitchen will allow for a permanent cafe, and a sprawling outdoor area could provide additional parking and a playground or ball field.

The current JCC building, once relieved of its fitness facilities, will likely become a full-time children's center and administration building.

The expansion has been a dream for the JCC almost since arriving at its Tarrytown location in 1995.

"I would say within six months of moving in, we knew we outgrew the building," Hassid said.

The organization has been eyeing GM building for almost four years. When the facility closed two years ago, the JCC expressed interest, but Hassid admits they couldn't pay the market-rate price.

"But then the market tanked and that made it all happen," Hassid said.

The JCC bought the building for a little over $3.3 million, but the biggest hurdle is ahead – raising between $12 - $15 million for the facility overhaul.

JCC will begin to quietly solicit donors in the coming months in advance of a full-scale fund-raising effort to be implemented in 2010. While the amount may seem daunting at first, Hassid believes there will be parties interested in putting their name on the project.

"This is probably one of the best legacy opportunities available in all of Westchester," he said.

If all goes well, the new facility could be open by 2012 and serve between 12,000 to 13,000 people annually. It also has the potential to dramatically change the role of JCC in the community.

"It's just endless in terms of the possibilities," Hassid said.