Excitement brewing for new senior center

By Guest

Dear Editor:

The enthusiasm emanating from the senior center these days is contagious. After a series of disappointments in the past, the time has finally come. There will be a new center and the excitement of planning its basic requirements and the opportunity to offer additional services has not only the director and her staff humming a happy tune, but the animation among senior members is heartwarming. They have waited a long time for their home away from home, which is sorely needed by all of our Canton seniors.

As many of you know, with the approval of town meeting, the property at 500 Pleasant Street was purchased. This happened after much deliberation and number-crunching among the relevant town agencies and the Council on Aging (COA). It became apparent that renovations would be required to not only meet COA requirements, but also to bring the existing building up to state code. Upon the initial inspections it was estimated that costs would approximate $1.5 million. When this amount was compared to the estimated cost of new construction — ranging from $4 to $6 million — there was no question that this property would be the best option for the COA to finally move out of their significantly inadequate space. The most exciting part of having this renovated property is that a majority of the funding is available without any additional tax burden to Canton taxpayers.

After the building was purchased and the architect was working on plans to make efficient use of the existing floor space, since it is less space that the COA would ideally like to have, there was some flooding due to a broken pipe. While this was unfortunate, it was a plus in some ways. All of the walls were going to be taken down and the floor replaced as a first step in the renovation, so it just occurred sooner rather than later. Since this demolition was done by the town, it not only lowered the overall cost of the project, it also provided another opportunity to fully inspect the building shell.

There are still a number of challenges that need to be worked out and overcome, but the consensus and the determination of all involved is that they will be successful. Unlike the design of a new structure, this renovation will be conducted within the constraints of an existing building. By focusing on the efficient use of existing space, combined with the potential offered by an additional wing at some point, current needs and upcoming demands from the new generation of baby boomers will be met.

Plans are being designed that will rely on multi-functional areas. The main and largest area will include a movable partition to delineate an expandable dining room, an exercise room, and a meeting room, when required. There will be a coffee nook in the main room. Other planned rooms will possibly include a library that will also have video capabilities, a card room that can accommodate a number of table top games, and a poolroom with Wii equipment that provides any number of games. Also in the plan is a room that can be used for handcrafting or various workshops. At present, the planning team is enthusiastically taking on the challenge of seeing that the requisite services of the center can be achieved within the existing area.

Now, to be successful we also need this same enthusiasm and involvement of Canton citizens and businesses to bring this endeavor to fruition. Precisely defined blueprints are planned but are subject to town meeting approval, and please know an artist’s rendition of the plan will soon be available. We ask for your support at the upcoming town meeting scheduled for Monday, May 13. After all, this will be our town’s senior center.

Respectfully,

Elaine Gilmore, Jim Fitzpatrick, Bill Sullivan, Betty Lethin, John Crowe, Janet Walrod and Peg Cibotti

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