A historic school building in New Berlin has been transformed into a vibrant community hub. The new community center at Hickory Grove has officially opened its doors, providing expanded space for recreation programs and the local food pantry.
"It houses the New Berlin food pantry, recreation classes- so we have summer day camp all the way up to seniors. And our senior citizen club is here as well," said Katie Roth, New Berlin Recreation Manager.
The building's history dates back to the 1900s, with the city preserving original cornerstones from the structure at the entrance of the new facility.
"This was on the original wood frame building in 1900. Then, when it was replaced by this building in 1951. And now the newest one for our community center," said David Ament, Mayor of New Berlin.
For Mayor Ament, the renovation holds personal significance - it was once his kindergarten classroom. The transformation addresses serious infrastructure problems that plagued the old community center.
"There are roof leaks; we even have bladders inside that catch the water and funnel it into buckets," Ament said.
Food pantry doubles in size with new features
Community members have expressed excitement about the expanded New Berlin Food Pantry, which now occupies a space twice the size of its previous location. The nonprofit organization leases the space from the city.
"The freezer, there are circumstances where we couldn't take frozen items because we didn't want them to go to waste, but they couldn't fit in our freezer," said Joan Reichelt from the New Berlin Food Pantry.
Watch: Old school gets new life in New Berlin as community members show off remodeled Hickory Grove
The additional storage capacity has already made a significant difference in operations.
"We can fit everything in here now," said Maureen Siwula from the New Berlin Food Pantry.
The redesigned space includes an indoor drive-through area, allowing volunteers to load supplies without exposure to harsh weather conditions - a crucial feature since the pantry is operated entirely by volunteers, many of whom are seniors.
"When they pull up we are ready to roll," Siwula said.
After years of planning and construction, residents are now seeing how the new facility addresses longstanding community needs while preserving an important piece of New Berlin's history. The community center officially opened two weeks ago and is already serving residents of all ages.
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