BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

Upper Macungie broke ground Sept. 12 for its new Lifestyle Community Center at 360 Grange Road in Grange Park.

Supervisors’ Chairman Jeff Fleischaker opened the ceremony.

“On behalf of my fellow township Supervisors Jim Brunell and Sunny Ghai, it is our distinct honor and privilege to welcome you all today for a long-awaited groundbreaking of our Upper Macungie Township Community Lifestyle Center,” Fleischaker said. “We’re thankful to the hundreds of community volunteers, from the recreation board taking surveys, gathering data, to serving on the Upper Macungie Township Community Fund who have helped get us to today with ideas and with passion.”

He also thanked elected officials, consultants, designers, engineers and architects who worked on the project.

“Most of all we have to thank our township staff led by Bob Ibach and Kal Sostarecz and their team who have taken an idea, dream and cared for it like it was their own and made sure that this building is going to be spectacular,” Fleischaker said.

Fleischaker said the building is going to be 188,000 square feet of testament to the people of Upper Macungie Township.

“It’s going to be diverse year-round program for ages zero to 100 that focuses on a wide range of activities from health and wellness to recreation and athletics to community events like art classes or cooking classes to events like a concert or a movie or an art fair,” he explained.

Vice Chairwoman of the Upper Macungie Township Community Fund Laura McHugh spoke about the founding partners for the project.

“It is amazing to think of the impact we’re going to have for residents now that there is a central gathering place in the lifestyle Community Center here in Upper Macungie Township, what a gift — a gift that’s made possible by so many of you,” McHugh stated.

“We are really excited to announce our Founding Partners.

“You could not handpick a better stronger more committed or more community minded group of Founding Partners to start this project.

“Starting with Lehigh Valley Health Network’s, Anne Baum, our neighborhood partners in health and wellness.

“I’m so excited to take advantage of the program you offer.

“The Butz family of companies — Mike, Greg and Mr. Butz. Thank you so much to you and your families.

“The Jaindl family of companies — Dave, Jackie and your families, who have worked so hard to help see this project through your family name and your history of support for this community, in particular, is unparalleled.

“And our Founding Partners at Air Products. Laurie Hackett is here today as director of community relations at Air Products and the chairwoman of the Upper Macungie Township Community Fund.”

Hackett told those gathered Air Products employees are proud to be part of the Community Center project.

“We know all aspects of this new Community Wellness Center will have a very strong commitment to sustainability and in the next few months as all of us stand together and watch this building rise from the ground, we will see that stewardship and that commitment from the sustainable wood structure to the recyclable and renewable materials that will be used in the track and the turf fields to the high efficiency LED lighting sustainable water usage eco-friendly trash and recycling commitment even the charging stations in the parking lot,” Hackett said. “All of this shows a great respect and celebrates this township’s commitment to sustainability which is a core tenet of Air Products.”

Anne Baum, president of LVHN Riley Children’s Hospital, said the project is an amazing opportunity for Upper Macungie Township to build a beautiful facility that has a focus on community, health and wellness.

“LVHN is so happy to be the local community hospital partner and health partner for this facility and for all of the activities that will take place at the Lifestyle Community Center,” Baum said. “This center will have fitness centers, classrooms, sports fields and a great place for people to come and learn about how to be healthy and successful in their life and have a lot of fun playing.

“Our Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute will be engaged working with training and sports medicine. We are very excited about that.

“Lehigh Valley Riley Children’s Hospital will also be engaged with health and Wellness classes for kids and families and our whole team at LVHN is very excited about the partnership that we will have with the Upper Macungie Township community and this beautiful new center.”

David Jaindl of Jaindl Farms said the entire Jaindl family is very happy to be part of this very important community project.

“For over 60 year, my family has had the pleasure of working with the township staff, officials and consultants and it started, not with me personally, it started with my dad, and it’s always been a pleasure, creating neighborhoods and doing business over these years in Upper Macungie Township,” Jaindl said.

“I want to recognize former supervisor Von George who recently passed, who was a good man, good friend a great supervisor.

“He has a part in this park because it was Von who acquired about 28 acres of this park land, and I know that because he acquired it from me about 20 years ago.

“I didn’t want to sell it, but he kept on calling every day, he called and called ... so I just want to recognize Von, a great guy.

“We are proud many of our residents that build our projects will have the opportunity to utilize these great facilities in the future and for them to be part of the nearly 500,000 visitors and participants expected to visit here each year.”

Mike Butz, director of business development and administration for the Butz family of companies, also addressed those in attendance.

“This project is really right up our alley when it comes to construction or the philanthropic piece of it,” Butz said. “Any job we do, we like to get involved somehow in the community and this ranks at the top of the list when it comes to those type of opportunities.

“I also just want to really quickly thank the township for giving us the opportunity to be construction manager on this job.

“It’s a very tough and competitive environment and construction in the Lehigh Valley and all over and the fact they put their faith in us to get this job done in the parameters they’ve set.

“We are very appreciative of that, and I know you guys will have a great experience moving forward, so we’re eager to get this job started. “

McHugh closed the ceremony.

“We are literally moving earth and moving rock to be able to come together to build this center from the ground up and the community center is the foundation of our community,” she said.

“The center, the community is the strong foundation of the center, it goes both ways.”