Woodbridge Twp. Officially Takes Over The Club At Woodbridge

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Township officially took possession of The Club at Woodbridge this past Monday, Oct. 1.

As Patch reported back in August, the owners asked Woodbridge Twp. if they wanted to purchase the gym, located on Main Street near the Wegman's. For decades, the Club at Woodbridge had been privately owned and operated by a local family.

Now that the town owns it, you may notice some renovations already happening: This week, DPW crews began to repave the club's driveway. The front entrance and the entire club will be made handicapped-accessible.

The interior of the gym is being cleaned for 14 days straight — during the overnight hours so members can keep working out during the day — and the town is also installing an improved security system in the KidSports area that will involve fob-controlled access for parents and employees.

The Twp. also plans to replace the lockers and showers and other amenities with brand-new fixtures and equipment. The surface in the open space next to KidSports will "very soon" be replaced with a turf field for youth sports.

Woodbridge Twp. spokesman John Hagerty has previously said that the tennis courts may be torn up and a hockey rink put in their place.

"They have tennis courts there now and they are used very little," said Hagerty. "The Township may remove the tennis courts and install an ice hockey rink there. We make well over $1 million a year on the community ice hockey rink across the street, as many travel teams rent it out. Given the fact that ice hockey is becoming such a popular sport, we may put another one there."

Will your taxes go up to pay for this?

The purchase to buy the club was made under the Township’s Recreation Utility, which already operates the Woodbridge Community Center (WCC).

"(The family) had been in business there for the past 40 years now and they approached the Woodbridge mayor three to four months back," said Hagerty. "(They wanted) to retire and find someone else to take over the business."

Woodbridge Twp. spent an estimated $9.95 million for the purchase of the club: $7.2 million went to purchase the land, building and all the gym materials inside and the rest will be spent on renovations at the club. Woodbridge issued a bond to borrow that money, and there will likely be no tax increase for Woodbridge residents because of it, Hagerty said.

"We would use the finances from membership and use the profit we already make from the Woodbridge Community Center to pay down the bond," he said. "We fully anticipate membership will not only remain the same, but will increase."

He said it's comparable to how Woodbridge owns a marina and boat ramp and the slip rentals and launch fees pay the expenses, not the taxpayers. The Township owns parking lots and parking fees pay the expenses, not the taxpayers.

The Township owns a sanitary sewer system and the sewer user fees pay the expenses, not the taxpayers, said Mayor John McCormac.

Past Patch reporting: Woodbridge Twp. May Buy The Club At Woodbridge