SOLVAY, NY – May 14, 2005 – The Solvay-Geddes Youth Center marked the completion of major renovations today with a community celebration featuring a basketball clinic held by former Syracuse University star Roosevelt Bouie. New York State Senator John DeFrancisco, Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro, Town Supervisor Bob Czaplicki, Mayor of Solvay Anthony Modafferi and Honeywell Director of Remediation Dave Wickersham were joined by Center Director Len Pfeiffer and local businessman John DeSpirito who donated his time to be the project manager. In September 2004, De Francisco secured $100,000 and Honeywell donated $250,000 to support the reconstruction of the 40-year-old facility.
“The facility looks great and is truly a wonderful resource for this community,” said DeFrancisco. “Revitalizing our neighborhoods improves the quality of life for all who live here. This Center is a good example of what can happen when public/private partnerships are successful between communities, the elected officials who serve them and companies such as Honeywell who are responsible corporate citizens.”
“The renovated Youth Center represents a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to come together, share their experiences, stay fit and celebrate their pride in the community,” said Pirro. “And it’s great to see companies such as Honeywell maintain historical connections to communities like Solvay.”
Wickersham added, “There’s a century of history linking Honeywell to this community through the former Solvay Process and Allied Chemical companies. So it is gratifying to see our contribution make such a difference for the neighborhood. By helping to rebuild the facility we are both honoring the past and ‘building for the future.’ Enhancing recreational opportunities like this at the Solvay-Geddes Youth Center is a key component of our commitment to the Geddes and Syracuse communities. Honeywell appreciates the hard work of all those involved, particularly John DeSpirito, for creating such a wonderful space for the whole community.”
Renovations on the facility include new exercise equipment and rooms, totally renovated restrooms, locker rooms and showers, new carpeting and meeting space, landscaping as well as improved access for the physically challenged. “We are really thrilled at how great the center looks these days. I can’t thank Senator DeFrancisco and Honeywell enough for getting us the grants that made these renovations possible. We are so proud to have this type of facility in our town,” said Czaplicki. “We also couldn’t have done this work without the leadership and time that John DeSpirito donated to oversee the work as well as the efforts of Hardy Construction Services, O’Brien & Gere and Heuber Breuer Construction who contributed their services to get this project done.”
The building, built in 1963, is owned by the Solvay Tigers youth sports program, but is operated by the Community Center, a non-profit organization.
