By China Boynton
The new Senior Activity Center located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Ninth Street has been built for almost a year and local seniors are concerned, as they haven’t been able to meet inside. The new center sits on four-and-a-half acres with four activity rooms, a fitness center, a warming/prep kitchen, and bathrooms. The project cost $4 million, according to city records.
According to the project manager for the building, Horatio Danovich, there are no delays.
“We had to wait for Broward County’s final approval of the NVAL (Non-vehicular Access Line) plans,” Danovich said.
Usually, NVAL plans take eight to 12 months to get approved and the Senior Activity Center is no exception. The NVAL is essential to reducing traffic congestion and improving safety.
“As it turned out, our construction efforts were completed before the county signed off on NVAL which is why it appears almost complete,” said Danovich.
An official opening date has not been set as yet.
The Senior Citizens Club currently meets at the E. Pat Larkins Center, however current members are not too satisfied with the new center.
Resident Roger Wells and his wife like to attend the Senior Citizens Club to play dominos with their friends and they will be joining the group that’s moving to the new center.
“We toured the building and I think its too small,” said Wells. “For everything that we like to do I feel some of the activity rooms seem very small.”
The Senior Citizen Club has 200 members and meets up at the E. Pat Larkins Center every Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The original club was started years ago by Pompano Beach resident Greg Walker and met at Mitchell Moore Recreation Center, but when it grew to 200 members it was eventually moved to the E. Pat Larkins Center. The club offers activities like swimming, sewing, chorus, and various field trips to different places around town like the local pool and other events.
Consuelo Lewis, senior recreation supervisor for the City of Pompano Beach, says that she gets inquiries almost every day about the new Senior Center.
“Everyone at the seniors club is extremely anxious and excited about the benefits of the new building because when the E. Pat Larkins center is rented out, the Seniors Club has to move to the smaller room.”
According to the City of Pompano, the new activity center won’t be rented out for private functions for at least two years after the seniors move in.
“I think it’s really good that they won’t be renting out the new space for a few years because it’s hard to fit so many members in one small room,” said Senior Club member Margaret Experience.
Club member Joann Smith said that they originally didn’t want to move too far west.
“Originally we wanted the location on Third Ave and Eighth Street, but now that the building is built looks very nice and now we can’t wait to move in.”
The Senior Club is for ages 55 and up. For more information contact 954-785-4585
