The council is moving forward with plans to construct a new senior center.
WESTFIELD – The Council on Aging will move back to its permanent headquarters at 40 Main St. on March 5 following seven months of operating from temporary offices at City Hall and St. John’s Lutheran Church.
The last day of operation at St. John’s Church, a Senior Center relocation Site, will be March 1, director Tina Gorman said Monday.
Tina Gorman“Everyone is excited and I am anxious to get everyone under the same roof again,” said Gorman.
The council’s senior lunch program and all activities have been held at the Broad Street church since the end of June last year because of on-going road reconstruction along Main Street and construction and demolition at Rocky’s Hardware, that abuts the 40 Main St. council headquarters.
Health insurance, travel club and medication equipment loan program services operated at City Hall during that same time period.
Gorman said the final day at St. John’s Senior Center Relocation Site will be March 1. She said March 2 will be a moving day, with no lunch served and all activities canceled that day. The COA office at City Hall will be open on March 2 and that office will officially close on March 7 and reopen March 8 at the Main Street site, the director said.
“We are grateful to the Rev. Christopher Hazzard, the Board of Trustees and the entire congregation for the use of their facility during our time of need,” said Gorman.
Seniors are being officially notified of the move in the March Council on Aging newsletter, Gorman said.
The move back to Main Street will save the city some funding from the nearly $20,000 allocated for the temporary relocation.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and the City Council, last November allocated $13,600 to the COA to finance the temporary church location until the end of the current fiscal year. Last August the city appropriated $6,400 to the council to cover rental fees during July to the end of October.
A new Senior Center Building Committee is expected to announce its choice of an architect for a proposed new center to be building on Noble Street. The cost of a new Senior Center has been estimated at about $6 million.