New Senior Center rises on historic lakefront site

Nov. 29—TRAVERSE CITY — The old Senior Center of Grand Traverse County is gone — torn down after 54 years of service to the community.

In its place, a much larger Senior Center is taking shape even in the midst of cold winter winds.

The new $10 million waterfront project is right on schedule with no delays in work or materials, said Michelle Hunt, Traverse City Parks and Recreation superintendent. A new foundation was poured earlier this fall and backfill operations are underway. Structural steel building will begin in mid-December.

"Thanks to the strong partnership between our team members, we're making great progress," Hunt said. "People will be amazed when it's completed. There'll be so many new opportunities for programs and expanded services."

The new center is the culmination of years of community discussion and debate. In 2018, city and county officials inaugurated a special ad hoc committee to examine key issues. A $7 million grant from the State of Michigan in 2022 was critical in the approval process, Hunt said. The city has pledged an additional $500,000. Completion is expected by the end of 2024.

When finished, the new facility will be 18,144 square feet in size, more than triple the size of the old building. During the initial concept phase, residents provided input on the design in open meetings with government officials, administrators and architects.

A key element of the new design is a covered patio facing Lake Michigan that can host outdoor meetings and programs. The center also will have a covered drop-off entrance area and new outdoor bathroom facilities for both senior and public use. A green "living roof" above the entrance area is intended to provide better stormwater management and help reduce energy use.

Inside the new center, flexible spaces — without columns — are planned to permit a wide range of new and existing programs. New furnishings and a fully equipped commercial kitchen also are part of the final plan.

"The views from the new patio and from inside the building itself will be stunning," said Ray Kendra of Environment Architects. "The overall look of the building and site is designed to fit in with the Maritime Academy and the surrounding area. It's also engineered to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.

"We consider this a very special project and we're honored to be working on it."

Interior space is only one part of the new center, Kendra said. Major enhancements in outdoor space design will provide more opportunities: "The new Senior Center will take full advantage of its wonderful location on the shores of Lake Michigan, providing a better experience for both Senior Center members and the general public," he said.

While the historic shuffleboard courts remain, the tennis courts are being moved south to allow better use of open space. The new courts will include lines for both tennis and pickleball. On the property's eastern edge, the previous gravel road will be removed. Access to the beach will be improved and the building itself will maximize views of Lake Michigan, both inside and outside.

"The views will be stunning!" he said.

Ryan Fedorinchik, project manager at Hallmark Construction, said this is one of the most exciting projects he's worked on in his 16-year career. It's also a chance to apply the hard lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Getting materials delivered and job orders completed during the pandemic was such a huge wild card for everyone in the construction industry," he said. "Paint would be available one day, then delayed for three months on another day. Same thing with light fixtures. The situation was constantly changing.

"As a result of that COVID experience, we learned to order materials and place job orders as soon as possible in the construction schedule. Thankfully, things are going really well this time and we're getting great collaboration with our partners ... I drive by the job site every morning while taking my daughter to school.

"It will be really exciting to see the steel superstructure start to rise next month. So many people are going to benefit from this project!"

The Senior Center, which is operated by the Grand Traverse County Senior Network, sits on a city-owned park, hence the intergovernmental partnership in place.

In addition to Environment Architects, other key partners in the development include Hallmark Construction and Team Elmer's.

This week, in response to a request from the Record-Eagle, researchers at the Traverse Area District Library provided some insight as to the history of the Senior Center and its property:

Long before the Senior Center building existed, two civic-minded men spearheaded the creation of a "Senior Citizen Park" on East Front Street.

J.T. Milliken, the grandfather of Michigan Gov. William Milliken, sponsored the idea. A summer resident named Riley Sweers took up the idea with great enthusiasm and park construction began in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federal employment program launched by then-president Franklin Roosevelt.

Clarence Samuelson designed the original structure on the site, as well as the historic shuffleboard courts. For many years, the state and national Open Shuffleboard Tournaments took place at the park. A major expansion of the structure began in 1969, under the leadership of Lou Ecarius, with help from the city and local businesses.

Now, 64 years later, a renewal of that space resumes — with great anticipation in the senior community.

"Our members often ask: 'When is it going to open?'" said Kelly O'Farrell, program specialist for marketing and events at the Senior Center Network. "We're all absolutely eager for this wonderful new stage in our history."

While construction continues, senior programming is taking place on Mondays at the new Traverse Area Curling Club on Garfield Avenue, and Tuesday-Thursday at the VFW Post on Veterans Drive. Other activities are happening at the main branch of the Traverse Area District Library on Woodmere Avenue, and at the Elks Lodge on Bay Street in downtown Traverse City.