The new 16,000 square foot Senior Community Center is long overdue.
Given that the elderly population in Newburyport is growing and projected to rise as more people decide to make the town their retirement community of choice, $6.5 million seems a fair price to pay for the huge improvement in senior services that is expected and much needed.
As things now stand, senior services are scattered among the library, the hospital, various churches, and even the Elks Club.
The old Bresnahan School site was deemed ideal for the new center for several reasons. It is already owned by the city; it is easily accessible off High Street; and it has an abundance of outdoor space for future use. The center’s construction is thus dependent upon the completion of the new Bresnahan School which is due to be finished in 2014.
Since it is on schedule, 2014 is the likely start date for construction. The new, energy efficient, wood-framed, two-story facility will be financed through a mechanism of issuing bonds and then servicing them with a temporary property tax increase called a “debt exclusion.” “Huh?” you say. My sentiment exactly. We’ll devote an entire column to that “debt exclusion” thing next time. Or maybe not.
Initial plans called for renovating the old Bresnahan School, but Sterling Associates (design specialists with expertise in senior centers) allied with EGA Architects determined that the old school was unsuitable and a start-from-scratch, demolish-all approach was more economically feasible and compatible with the goals of the new center.
We all know that no government endeavor ever goes unnoticed by the bureaucrats, so a third entity, Heery International, will act as Owner’s Project Representative as required by state law for public building construction over $1.5 million. Like EGA Architects, Heery is an architectural and interior design firm and as such seems a duplication of responsibilities and duties. (Rumor has it the law was initiated by the Massachusetts Department of Redundancy Department.) But, hey this is government. The Public Construction Reform Law of 2004 stipulates “the requirement to utilize an Owner’s Project Manager [. . . ] designed to assist the Commonwealth and its municipalities with the management and oversight of building projects.” Most likely a reaction to The Big Dig Boondoggle. And pardon my cynicism, but this is too much like paying Peter two million to stop Paul’s stealing one million.
The goals of the new senior center are manifold, but the primary one is to centralize and expand the various services offered and replace the small and inadequate rental space at the Salvation Army which the city has used for the past 25 years. These services will include comfortable office space for the staff to aid the elderly with tax issues, fuel assistance, and legal affairs.
There will also be kitchen space for programs such as “Meals on Wheels” and a dining room. There will be visiting areas for friends to gather, storage space, activity rooms for painting, bingo, bridge, dancing, knitting, and exercise as well as large multi-purpose areas to accommodate general community functions such as public meetings. Also available will be staff and offices for a variety of other services such as veteran’s affairs and medical counseling. Finally, outdoor space will be set aside for a patio, gardens, trails as well as plentiful parking for at least one hundred vehicles.
All gravity and kidding aside, it’s about time, Newburyport. It’s not like any of us are getting any younger. Now, if you, our readers, have any questions or comments about the center, please feel free to contact us. We welcome any suggestions for other uses and activities at the new center. We’ll get them to Newburyport’s Council on Aging director, Roseann Robillard, for comment.