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| By Paula Canning Staff Writer CHICOPEE The city is moving forward with its plans for a new Senior Center, with a site recommendation for the new 20,000 square foot facility expected from Catlin Architecture some time in August, according to Executive Director of the Council on Aging Sandra Lapollo. "The architects have been reviewing various sites in the city, including the present site as well as the land behind Sztela School," Lapollo said. The current center, which was built in 1976, was originally a community room for the Chicopee Housing Authority then became the Council on Aging, Lapollo said. An addition was put on the facility in 1982, which doubled the available space. A new parking facility was built in 2002, which significantly increased the parking spaces available to seniors. Lapollo explained that when the existing Senior Center was examined for possible renovations and expansions, the architects determined that the structure could not be expanded because it was not designed to be a two-story building and therefore could not accommodate the addition of a second floor. According to Lapollo, the need for a new Senior Center in the city "has been evident for quite a number of years." With an estimated 3,200 elders making using of its services every year, Lapollo explained that every room within the current facility has been maximized to its greatest potential. "More and more elders are coming and participating in the programs, and the space just isn't there," Lapollo said. She explained that there are many programs that the Council on Aging would like to offer seniors, such as yoga, but are unable to due to space restrictions. "We're constantly turning rooms over several times a day to try and accommodate the different activities," she said. Lapollo said that once the new Senior Center is built, it will most likely host more programs and more activities. According to Lapollo, the construction of a new Senior Center will be especially important in coming years as the elderly population continues to increase. She explained that with many of the Baby Boomer generation reaching their 60s, there will be a "dramatic increase" in the elderly population. Moreover, Lapollo said that the 85 and older demographic is continuing to increase as people are living longer lives. "We have already identified two generations of elders in the near future that will mark a significant increase in the elderly population," she said. Lapollo added, "Chicopee has built a new high school and a new library, and is now starting on another new high school," Lapollo said. "A new Senior Center would really make this a model community and one that genuinely cares about their children and the elderly that reside there." |