Senior Center growing for 2004

More room for services and parking is on tap for 2004 for the 5,000 people who use the Carson City Senior Citizens Center.

Construction on a 14,000-square-foot expansion to the center began in August. The expansion is being built on 4.48 acres of donated Bureau of Land Management property.

The two buildings of the senior center allow for 31,000 square feet of room for meals, activities, meetings, exercise groups, classes, special events, a library and staff offices.

Executive Director Janice McIntosh is looking forward to the grand opening.

"We will be able to provide more and better services with the opening of the addition," she said.

"We provide services with Social Security, Medicare, a lapidary, an exercise room, our library - they'll all be in the new building. Dependent on weather, we anticipate a July grand opening."

McIntosh is hoping also to add more activities seniors want to become a more full-service center.

"The existing building will be used for administration and dining," she said.

With a considerable population of active adults in the community, the need for a larger facility has been recognized for several years. About 5,000 people use services at the center. Most are seniors; others are family members who use services available to them.

"We get a tremendous amount of business," McIntosh said. "For a small staff, we're stretched pretty thin."

McIntosh anticipates the pool room to be moved as well as the gift shop, which is in one of the center's original buildings, to the west of the center.

The buildings will be connected by a hallway. A few stairs will be on one side, and a ramp for the disabled will be installed.

The hallway leads to a courtyard with a sitting area and a fountain.

It also includes a brick memorial area in honor of the late Carson City Supervisor Jon Plank.

Former Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., helped provide the land to the city for senior services. Construction includes more parking spaces.

Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.