BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — City officials are considering combining the city’s senior center and the Recreation Department into one building.
It’s an idea gaining traction in other communities.
Community Services Director Kathleen Messeri and Parks and Recreation Director Dan Enovitch presented a draft report and their opinions to City Council during a Jan. 5 meeting.
The Community Services Department is headquartered in and operates the city’s senior center.
One of the first decisions the city plans to tackle, if the consolidation were to take place, is whether to expand and renovate the existing Dwyer Memorial Senior Center to accommodate both departments or construct a new building.
The existing senior center building was constructed in the 1940s as the city’s service garage.
Over the years, the building has been expanded to accommodate the Community Services Department and the senior center, but there is a lack of space for activities for the city’s growing senior population.
The building has an inadequate electric system, four separate HVAC systems for different areas of the building that fail to provide adequate ventilation and temperature control, and an old concrete floor that may require replacement.
Many of the problems stem from repeated additions to the building over the years.
The Recreation Department building was torn down several years ago for the construction of the new Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
Since then, the Recreation Department has occupied part of the old Community House, but there is a shortage of space there — including storage space — and the temporary relocation has prevented the community from using much of the Community House for other activities.
The Community House was originally a barn built by the Cahoon family in 1882.
In the 1930s, it was converted into a community center. It is currently in use as the main office for the Bay Village Parks and Recreation Department.
Using projections on the aging of the Cleveland-area population, the Bay Village administration estimated that while the city’s senior population (over age 60) currently stands at 3,048, it could grow to 4,693 by 2030.
In addition, the population of those 85 and older is projected to continue growing as people live longer, according to the report.
The city needs to begin preparing to meet the needs of an increasingly large senior population, the officials said.
A recent community-wide survey of senior residents identified their desire for improved programming and physical facilities.
“The consensus was to offer more programming, more up-to-date (facilities), such as tech labs with computers and laptops, better parking, better indoor facilities, such as restrooms that are more ADA accessible, and better spaces to have the programming,” Messeri said.
Senior residents in their responses to the city said the existing senior facilities were outdated.
They said other communities, like Westlake and Rocky River, offer more updated senior facilities.
“We need a center that offers more space,” Messeri said. “As we know, the current center can no longer meet everyone’s needs.
“A larger center would allow more programs, more activities and multiple activities at the same time without overcrowding.
“It would also provide safer, more accessible spaces and give seniors a comfortable place to stay active, socialize and remain connected to the community.”
One suggestion was that seniors could use the facility during the day and recreational programs for the entire community could be held in the evening.
A shared space would allow the recreation department to expand its adult fitness classes and youth programming, Enovitch said.
“I think it’s a common trend right now to see community services partner with the recreational department in these facilities, as opposed to building a separate recreation center and a community center,” Enovitch said.
Members of the city administration visited three nearby community centers — in Solon, Independence and Strongsville — where senior and recreation department programs share space.
“All three locations have floor plans that flow effortlessly, complementing each other and creating one great center for patrons young and old,” according to the report.
“This connection also allows the senior members to participate in a wider range of recreational activities typically offered at rec centers (fitness classes, sports, arts and crafts), catering to various interests and abilities and a broader range of members.
“Another important component of these shared space models is that they bring senior and younger community members together, promoting an understanding and mutual respect across generations.”
The city needs to weigh the costs and challenges associated with renovating and expanding the existing Dwyer Memorial Senior Center against the costs of constructing a new building.
“I think just from the work you’ve done thus far, renovation would be pretty substantial,” Koomar said to the recreation and community services directors.
Council President Dwight Clark said he would like to have Sixmo Architecture, which has examined the existing Dwyer Center building, come before council within the next few months to discuss what would be needed to update and expand the building.
He said that the city recently undertook significant cost commitments with projects that include expanding and renovating the fire station and installing a sewer equalization tank at Cahoon Memorial Park to reduce sewer discharges and prevent basement flooding.
“We’ve put a lot of money underground,” Clark said. “It’d be nice to put some money above ground, but we have to balance.”
If the recreation and senior centers are located in a single building, the recreation department’s Community Gym would continue to be housed at Bay Middle School, officials said.
Read more from the West Shore Sun.
link