VERNON, CT — Citing its “rapid” growth and expanded activities, the Vernon Town Council has given the go-ahead to make the local senior center larger.
The council this week voted 7-4 to approve a contract to construct a 6,600-square-foot, 78-by-85-foot building that will sit adjacent to the current senior center. The council approved a budget for the project not to exceed $1,869,000. Federal grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will pay for the project, according to meeting documents. Construction is expected to commence on or about July 1, 2025, according to the plans.
The center is located at 147 Bolton Road and the addition will be erected on an adjacent parcel to the south recently acquired by the town, also with ARPA funds, Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne told Patch Thursday.
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“We’re at 4,000 members now,” Champagne said of the senior center roster. “We were at 835 members when we opened the new senior center in 2018. We have grown substantially and will continue to grow.
The new building will enable the senior center to host larger groups for its events and add a greater variety of athletic activities, Champagne said.
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“We need a higher ceiling and more room,” Mayor Champagne said. “It’s very important that our seniors stay active.”
The vote to approve went along party lines with the exception of Democrat Maryann Levesque, who voted in favor of the measure.
When the motion to approve went to the council floor, dissenters argued that the new building might be better offered as a “community center,” rather than to one segment of the population. Levesque said the younger crowd already has plenty of options, including gymnasiums at each school and multiple rooms and a gym at Center 375.
Champagne said that was the premise behind adding space for seniors.
“Vernon offers a tremendous variety of facilities and programs for children and families, Champagne said. “We have made significant investments in athletic fields, a new pool at Henry Park, and improvements to our trails and parks. We owe our seniors an expansion to the facility that is important to so many of them.”
ARPA funds must be allocated and contracts approved by Dec. 31, otherwise the money must be returned to the federal government. The money was available because of savings on other projects, Champagne said.
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