The South Orange Village Council voted on January 13 to approve $24,150.55 in emergency funds for repairs to the Baird Recreation Center after a water pipe burst in late December causing damage to the main entrance and other areas.
According to the resolution (attached below), the Baird sustained damage due to a “ruptured sprinkler pipe causing water to rush out, flooding the main lobby, temporary library, part of the gallery, and into the basement through the floor.”
The contract was awarded to RestoPros of Essex, Clifton, Paterson, located in Bloomfield, “to prevent additional damage from the water. This involved removing flooring, sheetrock, drop ceilings, running dehumidifiers, etc.”
The resolution reports that RestoPros finished its work on December 30.
Water flooding Baird lobby on December 23, 2024. Photo by Bruno Navarro.
Council member Bobby Brown lauded Village staff and residents for making the best of a bad situation.
“In terms of adjusting to the situation at hand there at the Baird Community Center, I just wanted to, by way of recognition, acknowledge that the staff has done a phenomenal job, trying to make those adjustments and seeing that there’s still great participation in the programs and to see that they have been able to withstand the water damage is nothing short of amazing,” said Brown.
“I wanted to recognize the staff and also the residents for being flexible,” said Brown. “The Baird Center has stayed open and accessible and the programs continue to run.”
Mayor Sheena Collum concurred, noting that she had hosted a Luminary Decorating Party with the Community Coalition on Race on Sunday, January 12. “There wasn’t a parking spot in sight. … All the crafts rooms were being utilized. The gallery area was packed. I went upstairs to the cafe, not a chair in sight, and there were children coming in for a Pokemon tournament. … The gyms were both packed.”
“It was wonderful to see. And right now, when you pull into the Baird, you just use the entrance to the left side of the building,” said Collum.
The mayor said that the damage to the building was “very minimal.”
Village Green has reached out to Village officials to ask if additional repairs and appropriations are need for the Baird and will update this story when officials reply.
The Baird was recently fully renovated and expanded, reopening in April 2024 after several years of construction.
Photo by Blake F. Smith
