By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
The spacious and sparkling Stanley A. White Recreation Center is filled with activity as Summer arrives in New Bern! Located on the corner of Third Avenue and Broad, this stunning mammoth of a facility is the latest project completed by the City of New Bern after an effort that involved planning, designing, budgeting and building over a period of six years.
The original 14,000 square foot Stanley White Recreation Center was built during the 1970s and was located at 901 Chapman Street. Unfortunately, due to its location, it was repeatedly damaged during tropical weather and hurricanes and sustained significant structural damage due to flooding during hurricane Florence in September 2018.
“It was essential that we rebuild this amenity for our community after such a significant loss,” said Kari Warren, Director of Parks & Recreation. “The Stanley White Recreation Center was a staple in New Bern. Generations of people grew up there learned new skills, played games, met their neighbors and gathered with their families for nearly 50 years. With the help of many hands, we have a new recreation center to be proud of. It is a beautiful addition along one of the major gateways into downtown New Bern.”
In 2020, the Board of Aldermen created an Advisory Committee to serve as liaisons between the City and citizens regarding design and development of the new center. CPL Architects crafted the design and the construction was completed by T.A. Loving Company. The groundbreaking was held on August 4, 2023 and the project was completed in 16 months. The new facility opened on January 27, 2025 and is located approximately one-tenth of a mile from its previous location—it is nearly twice the size, at 35,000 square feet. It includes a double gym, elevated walking track, cardio equipment, weight equipment, fitness studio, meeting space, health screening room, game room and kitchen.
One of the challenges during the process was the decision to move the center from Chapman Street to Third Avenue, but the community and the City determined that it was essential to move to higher ground where it would not be as susceptible to flooding. This decision also supported the need for a space that could also be utilized as an emergency shelter during hurricanes and other disasters requiring evacuations.
Funding for the project came from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at $5.6 million dollars; the state awarded more than $1.8 million; and insurance proceeds were roughly $500,000, totaling about $8 million dollars. The project was estimated at $13.1 million, and the Board of Aldermen therefore approved an additional $5 million from the General Fund to make up the difference.
The Recreation Center is a family-friendly community amenity that serves the public by providing healthier lifestyles, promoting better mental health, reduced stress, and overall well-being. There are programs and services available for all ages.
Ben Parsons, Fitness Coordinator at the Stanley A. White Recreation Center says, “A well-rounded fitness, health, and wellness program includes several key components designed to promote overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Here at the new recreation center, our goal is to help you! We have an educated fitness staff that will be here for you every step of the way whether you like to work out on your own, in group classes, or with a personal trainer. We are here to help you reach those goals and live a higher quality of life through our health and wellness program. We have many different classes that we offer such as yoga, bootcamps, core cardio, weights, raise the barre, line dancing, prime timers, and chair volleyball. As we grow, our group exercise schedule continues to grow with us! So, whether you are someone looking to build, burn, work on flexibility, or just increase your quality of life by improving your general health and wellness, our group exercise classes are a great way to have fun and do just that.”
The facility is open Monday-Friday from 7am-9pm; on Saturdays from 8am-6pm; and on Sunday the facility is closed. To access and use the facility, you must apply for a Rec Card, which is free. A Rec Card is similar to a small key fob that visitors scan when they enter the facility. You can download a Rec Card application on the city website here -> https://www.newbernnc.gov/departments/rec_card.php. Once you’ve completed the application, it must be submitted in person at the recreation center or at the Parks & Recreation Administration building located at 1307 Country Club Road (open Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, excluding holidays). Once you have a Rec Card, you can enjoy recreation center amenities at no cost, such as the elevated walking track, game room and daily open use activities. Currently, open use activities include pickleball, basketball, volleyball and cornhole.
Fitness memberships are also available at Stanley A. White Recreation Center, as well as day passes. Costs and rates depend on your age group and whether you are a city resident. A fitness membership includes access to the elevated walking track, weight & cardio room, and full access to drop-in group exercise classes such as Bootcamp & Cardio Hip Hop (cardio classes), weight training, yoga, Raise the Barre (barre classes), Prime Timers (classes for seniors) chair exercises (for those who are less mobile such as chair volleyball & combo exercises), and line dancing. An application is required for fitness memberships. For more information or to apply, visit our website at https://www.newbernnc.gov/departments/stanley_a._white_recreation_center.php.
Stanley A. White Recreation Center also offers after school programs, art classes, summer camps, community enrichment courses and cooking classes, which fill up quickly during the season. For example, a Mixed Media Altered Book Course begins in May where you can bring an old, unloved book & turn it into a unique work of art. Or, bring the family every Friday in May to enjoy the Digital Playground, motion-based video games and exercises for the whole family. Summer camps such as Taste the Adventure Cooking Camp start in June and wrap up in August. Prices vary.
The recreation center has rooms available for rental for special occasions such as baby showers & birthday parties. It also features a large meeting space. In fact, I’d love to meet you over there one day if you’d like to take a tour of the building. It might help you tell the story of this wonderful, updated & expanded facility available to our community. It’s incredible!
More information on programs & services is available on the city website at www.NewBernNC.gov or by following the Parks & Recreation department on social media @newbernpr on Facebook and @newbernparksandrecreation on Instagram.