Middletown senior center remains open after city officials warn of imminent closure

A longtime senior center in Middletown remained open Friday and will continue to do so for the time being, with the city stepping in to ensure services are still in place for elderly residents, officials say.

While city staff are still assessing how to continue operations at the Central Connections facility on a long-term basis, the center remained open as of Friday afternoon, according to Byron McCauley, Middletown communications manager.

That was more than a day after city officials said the nonprofit that runs the center would cease operations and close its doors within 24 hours due to financial issues.

During a special meeting Thursday, Middletown City Council announced its intent to purchase the center, if possible, in an effort to keep it from closing permanently.

The city council also committed city resources to continuing essential services at the center.

A Friday afternoon post to the center’s Facebook page shows events scheduled through Aug. 11.

The situation at Central Connections is a “crisis,” City Manager Paul Lolli said during Thursday's meeting.

Just a week before officials announced the center might be forced to close, Central Connections’ board of directors decided to terminate the center’s director, Diane Rodgers, according to a statement on the facility’s website.

City officials confirmed Rodgers is the subject of an ongoing police investigation.

“It is the Board’s intention to do everything within our power to keep Central Connections open and operating to serve the needs of the Middletown and surrounding Senior community,” the statement reads.

The nonprofit Middletown Area Senior Citizens Inc., which operates the center, purchased the site of its Central Avenue facility in 2002, property records show. Central Connection’s website says the facility opened in November 2007.

It was supported by Middletown taxpayers via levies, the last of which expired in December 2022, that provided nearly $7 million to pay off the property’s mortgage, according to Lolli.

The center has been in operation in some form for the last 70 years, officials say. It has provided meals, health and wellness services, programs and transportation services for seniors. It has also hosted weddings, receptions and other events.

It currently employs 35 staff members, the city manager said. Though the city wants to retain as many of those employees as possible, those staffing levels may fluctuate, McCauley said.

While the center’s contracts with the Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio regarding certain services, including congregate meals, transportation and supportive services, have been severed, Middletown residents can still find access to services through other organizations.

A full list of those services can be found on the Council on Aging’s website.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Central Connections still open after warning of imminent closure