Photo Credit: Courtesy Of City of Raleigh, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Running a successful, active adult center (aka senior center) does not have to be done by a parks and recreation department alone. In late 2012, the city of Raleigh, N.C., opened two such centers—the Five Points Center for Active Adults and the Anne Gordon Center for Active Adults.
The original plan was for one 25,000-square-foot building with a price tag of $7.7 million. However, after public input, and some criticism, the center was reduced to 20,000 square feet to be located in the Whitaker Mill-Five Points area. Now known as the Five Points Center for Active Adults, the reduced size meant that additional funds were now available, so plans moved forward to put a center on the campus of Millbrook Exchange Park. The Anne Gordon Center for Active Adults is approximately 4,500 square feet and is intended to be one of several satellite centers. Where does $7.7 million come from? In 2007, an $88.6-million bond referendum was approved by the voters. The total sum went towards several new projects, renovations, and upgrades. Voters approved bonds in 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, and again in 2014. Touching the lives of the masses as opposed to focusing on one major project can be a key to obtaining a bond vote.
At 20,000 square feet of space, programming for the Five Points Center may seem like a tall task. Partnerships were created to offer programs and services for the adult population, including: