Submitted by City of Lacey
The City of Lacey will officially dedicate its newly-expanded senior center during a public ceremony at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16. The center is located in Woodland Creek Community Park, 6757 Pacific Avenue SE.
The $2.9 million project doubled the size of the facility to 10,000 square-feet, significantly increasing capacity for programming and services. Over the last decade, Lacey has experienced dramatic increases in demand for services to seniors. Since opening at its current location in 2003, use of the center has surged from 257 registered-members to nearly 1,700.
“Lacey’s senior population is one of the fastest-growing in Washington, and is projected to double again within ten years,” commented Mayor Virgil Clarkson. “This facility is an outstanding example of state and federal support successfully leveraging local resources in meeting critical needs.”
The project received $1 million in support from the federal Community Development Block Grant program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce. The award marked the seventh for Lacey from the block grant program, with previous projects including the senior center’s first phase, construction of the Lacey Child Care Center, and preservation and rehabilitation of affordable housing.
Additional funding was provided by the city, Senior Services for South Sound, the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging, the Forest Foundation, local businesses, and several hundred individual donors.
“Lacey has done an outstanding job addressing the needs of our senior population,” said Eileen McKenzie Sullivan, executive director of Senior Services. “We’re pleased this project will go a long way toward meeting increasing demands within the community.”
The building expansion was designed by BLRB Architects of Tacoma. Jones & Roberts of Olympia was the general contractor. Senior Services for South Sound, which has partnered with the city for several decades, manages the facility.
For more information, contact Lori Flemm, Lacey Parks and Recreation Director, at (360) 438-2633. To learn more about senior programming and services, call the Lacey Senior Center at (360) 407-3967.
