Re-build of New Bern’s beloved Rec Center focus of FEMA visit

   July 29, 2021
The Stanley White Recreation Center, seen in this photo prior to its demolition last year, was originally constructed in a flood plain, and as a consequence suffered severe damage from Hurricane Florence in September of 2018.

City officials are optimistic that a public hearing Thursday night, July 29, will present a convincing case that any reconstruction of the Stanley White Recreation Center on its original site will NOT alleviate the risk of future flooding. 

A FEMA study known as a Draft Environmental Assessment is expected to recommend that a comparable facility should be built on a 3.4 acre site of much higher elevation. Fortunately, the proposed location lies between Broad Street and Gaston Boulevard, near the original recreation site. 

The hearing is open to the public from 7pm to 9pm at 800 Cedar Street in New Bern.