Town hall opens

DiDonato, Hammonton First make history at Central & Vine

by Gabe Donio, Gazette Staff Writer

THG/Gabe Donio
Hammonton Town Clerk Susanne Oddo and Hammonton Police Chief Frank Ingemi hold open the doors of the new town hall on Monday, May 5, welcoming the public and town hall employees.

HAMMONTON—The new town hall opened May 5, with town employees and the public moving the business of government nearly seamlessly into a new 27,000-square-foot facility. Mayor John DiDonato, who has been working personally at the building for weeks aiding in the transition, was present hours before the opening. Stephen DiDonato, who co-chaired the building committee with Kristin Colasurdo, was also present.
The plan to build a three-story building on the town-owned parking lot behind town hall came to be known as the “Colasurdo Compromise” in 2005, after Rock Colasurdo brought the design to the council following years of debate and controversy concerning the site of the town hall.
After the Republican-controlled council voted to move the town hall to 11th Street before listening to the public at a February 8, 2005 council meeting, a group called Hammonton First was formed. In November of 2005, voters elected John DiDonato as the mayor, and Colasurdo, Christine Massarelli and Edward Wuillermin as council members. Former Republican Councilwoman Jeanne Sparacino-Lewis joined Hammonton First as well.
On January 1, 2006, a vote was made to place the town hall at the Central Avenue and Vine Street site for $5.9 million. Hammonton First has remained in control of the town council since 2006. The building was constructed by Dolan Mechanical and building designer was Joseph Piccari.
During the last week, The Gazette interviewed a number of people associated with the new building. Here, in their words, are their feelings on the opening of the new town hall at Central Avenue and Vine Street.

Mayor John DiDonato
“I think Hammonton First was founded on positive thinking and creating a brighter future for tomorrow. We did that by fostering volunteers from our community. This town hall was an example – we had a building committee that put in countless hours to make the project happen.”
 

Hammonton First President
Sam Rodio
“It was just a big team effort. It feels like everything we started out doing — building a town hall in town — has happened. It’s a relief. It’s a beautiful place. It’s there. There’s no knocking it down, there’s no moving it. There is a real sense of accomplishment.”

Councilman Edward Wuillermin
“We really have to thank the building committee and the mayor for their work. Because the issue of where to put the town hall was controversial, these people really went overboard to make sure the town hall was a place we could all be proud of and a place that would bring people together, and put the controversy behind us. The mayor spent an extraordinary amount of time tending to all the details, making sure everything was just right.”

Building Committee
Co-Chairman
Stephen DiDonato
“I want to thank the entire committee, including our co-chair Kristin Colasurdo, Sam Mody, Gordon Pherribo and Don DeFiccio. The mayor’s done a tremendous job on the building. Starting last Tuesday, he worked around the clock and he is the reason the opening is so clean and so organized. He’s basically the reason the building opened up as organized as it did.”

Hammonton First President
Sam Rodio

“He [Mayor DiDonato] doesn’t have to talk about his accomplishments. All you have to do is look around the town and everywhere you’ll turn, you’ll see one of his accomplishments. He’s dedicated the last two-and-a-half years of his life to being the mayor of the town of Hammonton.”

Town Clerk
Susanne Oddo
“Everybody was excited. It was a team effort to get here. Everyone’s morale has been improved. I think you’re going to see good things come out of this building. Everyone is proud of this building, and I hope the citizens are too.”

Hammonton Police Chief
Frank Ingemi
“The day I took my oath of office, I said I wanted to work toward a new building, and now it’s done. I believe it’s a great thing, not only for the police department, but for the whole community.”

Former Councilwoman
Christine Massarelli
“I couldn’t be happier for the employees and the town — and everyone who worked so hard on the new town hall. It’s a building that is well-deserved.”

Former Councilman
Rock Colasurdo
“I go out of my way to drive by it. When I go by it, I get choked up — because it’s beautiful. Hammonton First did that — and there’s no doubt about that.”

Building Designer
Joseph Piccari
“It is a great day for the town of Hammonton, to bring in a one-of-a-kind building that represents our community. Not only will it serve the town employees and the citizens of our town, but it will create a sense of place for all Hammontonians. As a lifelong citizen of Hammonton, the project was a pleasure for me. It gave me a great sense of pride and accomplishment.”

Mayor John DiDonato
“Joe did a tremendous job. The town staff is ecstatic with the amount of room they have. They helped design their space. They now know, after all these years, they finally have a home. The town staff did a great job in pre-moving items over the last few weeks. This made the move much more organized. The town hall staff with the help of the highway department did a great job to make an organized opening today happen.”

Councilman
Jerome Barberio
“It feels great when something is accomplished and done right. I think that we’ll all be able to enjoy and benefit from a new town hall. Not just the council or administration and staff, but the entire town. I hope everyone gets to visit, and I’m looking forward to the celebrations that are coming up — because it’s history in the making. I feel fortunate to be a part of it.”

Councilwoman
Tracy Petrongolo
“When I see it, I see a manifestation of group effort and a collective goal that has come to fruition. It’s really amazing to see. I really couldn’t be happier for everyone involved from beginning to end. Everyone stuck together. We found common ground, and we made it happen. That’s Hammonton. It’s a good feeling.

Former Councilman
William Olivo
“I’m completely satisfied that they are going to be in that building for many, many years. It’s where it belongs. It’s where it needed to be. It never needed to move from the center of town. They’ve done a great job. I can’t be more appreciative of what the four people who were elected in 2005 — John, Rock, Eddie and Christine, and [Councilwoman] Jeanne [Sparacino-Lewis] have done. They were able to get it done. John is the master of getting the job done. We’re lucky to have him as our mayor.”


Former Councilman
Daniel Chiofalo
“It’s in the right spot and it looks great. The guys did a great job putting it together. That’s the most important part for any politician or leader. You have to see when information changes — and change with it.”

Former Councilwoman
Jeanne Sparacino-Lewis
“The new town hall is nothing short of amazing. When I toured the building, it confirmed for me that the location of Central and Vine was truly the right location for the new town hall. Looking out of the windows and seeing the clock and St. Joe’s High School confirmed for me the town hall was in a place of dignity, surrounded by a glorious element of the town. The dedication of all who worked on this project is awe-inspiring. Look at what we can accomplish when the community comes together – and within the $5.9 million budget. Promises kept.”

Mayor John DiDonato
“I think my favorite part will be when the old town hall comes down and you can see the elevation of the new town hall from Central Avenue.”

Dr. Leonard Streitfeld
“I did what was in my heart, because as far as I was concerned, it was the only site. When I saw the plans Rocky brought to the council, it made a lot of sense to me. I told him I would work as hard as I could with him, and that’s what we did. We stuck with it, and you see what happened. I always talked with people in my office, and by far, the majority wanted it where it was.”

Town Solicitor
Brian Howell
“The taxpayers spoke and government listened. I was able to see how difficult it was for the town hall employees and the police department to do their jobs efficiently. But to their credit, they persevered and now have the workplace they deserve.”

Mayor John DiDonato
“It really teaches you to stay focused. There was a lot of scrutiny on this project and a lot of naysayers on this project, which came in at $5.9 million in two years and four months. Sometimes, you question yourself. But if you surround yourself with great people and stay focused, good things can happen. It’s definitely exciting to open the doors to the public. We just took a project that was wanted by the community, and built it.”