The profile of the high school that sits in the center of its busy Monmouth County town has changed dramatically with the completion of Red Bank Catholic’s new 32,000-square-foot student center.

What started many years ago as a series of planning meetings, discussions, forums and focus groups about the legacy of Red Bank Catholic and fulfillment of the mission to provide the best opportunities possible in Catholic education has culminated with a major expansion to the school’s Broad Street campus. Funded by a capital campaign called “Imagine RBC 2010,” the expansion includes renovations to existing facilities in addition to the creation of a new facility – set to be officially named the Vincent J. Eck Student Center.

“The project is a labor of love blessed by God himself,” stated RBC principal Robert Abatemarco, who noted the student center is the focal point of the project and will be fully operational when classes resume Sept. 1. An official dedication will follow Sept. 22.

In addition to the student center, renovations to existing facilities - which actually started several years ago - will continue and will be expanded to include state-of-the-art technology in all 46 classrooms in the RBC Academic Center.

Improvements will involve the addition of multi-media podiums linked to all technology in the rooms including laptop computers, DVDs, VCRS, projection screens, and amplified sound systems.

“This will greatly enhance the educational experience for both teachers and students,” Abatemarco stated.

Additional improvements include ceiling fans, new windows and blinds, new student desks and instructional storage space for teachers, and infrastructure upgrades such as electric, ventilation, and lighting.

He noted that close to 30 classrooms are completed to date. Seven classrooms will be designed to include integrated ‘pop up’ desk computers. A special annual fund created for the improvements – “Share The Promise” – has provided the necessary financial resources.

The total cost of center is estimated at about $13 million, according to RBC director of advancement Gail Slevin. She noted that approximately $12.8 million has been generated to date by “Imagine RBC 2010.”

The success of the capital campaign, in large measure, is due to the generosity of late RBC alumnus Frank Eck, a member of the Class of 1941. Eck, aware of RBC’s plans for growth, pledged $5 million to “Imagine RBC 2010” with an additional $1 million matching gift challenge.

Frank Eck’s father – Vincent J. Eck – was the original architect of RBC as well as many other churches comprising the Diocese of Trenton including St. Anne, Keansburg; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Highlands, and Star-of-the-Sea Academy, Long Branch.

According to Slevin, Frank indicated before his death that he wanted to honor his father by naming the building after him.

“On a personal note, while this is certainly a joyful and celebratory time, it is also bittersweet because of the passing of Frank. He will not be around to witness his legacy, and we lost a wonderful mentor. Frank was an extraordinary man,” Slevin stated sadly.

Abatemarco characterized Frank Eck as a visionary. “His gift has literally transformed RBC, and the campaign is about far more than a building,” Abatemarco added.

Commenting on financial support from alumni, parents of alumni, friends of the school, family members of deceased alumni, staff, and even seven religious women, Slevin said that the sense of community far outweighs the financial aspects of the project.

“The building is a physical manifestation of who we are, what we are and what we will be. It celebrates the past, the present, and the future,” she added.

The student center stands on the former site of the Stirnweiss Building, which was demolished and previously housed the old boiler system and lockers for the football team. Abatemarco emphasized the need for the new building by explaining that 1,700 students from both RBC and St. James School, the adjacent parish elementary school, were using the same gymnasium.

“The facilities were just inadequate and were not serving the needs of the students.

The center will relieve the demands on existing space,” he stated.

According to a newsletter detailing the conceptual plans, the new facility will more than double physical education space by adding a competition-sized gymnasium with basketball court, a 2,200 square foot fitness center with the latest training equipment, two state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with advanced technology which can be combined to create a larger group meeting space, bathrooms, two locker rooms and four team rooms with 100 lockers each, a concession stand, storage space – which is currently non-existent – and ‘Tradition Hall,’ the RBC Alumni Hall of Fame which will serve as the entrance to the building.

Abatemarco added that the surrounding landscape will be upgraded to include trees and plantings, a courtyard walkway and a promenade walkway. The parking lot was reconfigured to include additional parking spaces, and issues such as pedestrian and bus safety as well as traffic patterns were addressed by the plan. “ We even created more parking in the process,” Abatemarco joked, “which is no small feat in Red Bank.”

To contribute to “Imagine RBC 2010” or “Share the Promise” Annual Appeal, contact Gail Slevin, director of advancement, by phone at (732) 747-3256 or by email at [email protected]. More information on RBC is available on the website www.redbankcatholic.org.