The construction of the $92 Million Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center continues to generate excitement throughout Staten Island’s Tompkinsville community. The 45,000-square-foot waterfront facility, which is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ North Shore Action Plan, represents a long-awaited renaissance in this historic neighborhood.

According to Joseph Garofalo, who is both a principle of the Richmond Ready Mix Company and a North Shore resident, the project is generating a great deal of interest in Staten Island.

“There has been a lot of talk about investment in this part of Staten Island for many years,” Garofalo said. “Now that there are new projects underway, we are seeing more people exploring opportunities to live and work here. Since I am a North Shore resident, it is especially gratifying for me to see the progress and visit the job sites on a daily basis. The architects have done a wonderful job creating dramatic new elevations, while also preserving the historical elements of the community.”

The sprawling Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center will offer a variety of sports courts as well as indoor and outdoor running tracks and equipment for strength training and cardio fitness. The center will also feature a new dance studio on the top floor. Garofalo noted that the North Shore was previously home to the George Cromwell Recreation Center, which was severely damaged during hurricane Sandy.

“The George Cromwell Center was well-known for its boxing and basketball programs,” Garofalo added. “I recall that there were a few prominent boxers who trained there years ago.”

Garofalo said that the visual impact of the Mary Cali Recreational Center will be as impressive as the amenities inside. While the stunning white exterior of the building will contribute to the magnificent skyline, it also presents some challenges in the formulation and application of the concrete mixes used in its construction.

“The exterior of the building features precast white, vertical panels,” he said. “We’re using a white cement powder to match the white precast panels and white decorative cast-in-place elements.”

The process to achieve the architect’s vision for the building is fairly complex. Richmond Ready Mix has been in touch with the company that fabricated the white precast panels to learn about the materials they used. In addition, Richmond Ready Mix is collaborating with the ENA Pigment company to perfect the match.

“Creating the color match is very involved,” Garofalo said. “We have completed multiple test mixes and pours both at our plant and on site. Our Quality Control Department is deeply involved in supervising the entire formulation of the mix.”

Richmond Ready Mix is a sub-contractor in several other North Shore Projects. In addition to the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center, the firm is working with the JRCRUZ Company to fabricate the pipe cradles for water and sewer system improvements. Richmond Ready Mix is also pouring the walkways for the 2-mile waterfront esplanade that runs from Stapleton to Tompkinsville to St. George.

“The waterfront development projects have been very well received by local residents,” Garofalo said. “People feel like their tax money is coming back into the neighborhood and being put to good use. The attention to detail in these projects is impressive. Just as we are working hard to match white concrete to the panels on the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center, we are developing tints for the concrete in the esplanade walkways that conform to the standards of historical accuracy that have been established for the project.”

Richmond Ready Mix is based on Staten Island and is currently working on a Kearney, N.J., plant. Garofalo and Scot D’Arco opened Richmond Ready Mix in 2016, with seven trucks. Today they have approximately 35 trucks manned by drivers who are all members of the Local 282-Concrete Chauffer’s Union. The company serves Staten Island, Brooklyn and New Jersey. For more information, call 718-733-3648 or visit richmondreadymix.com.