After several delays, a new Senior Health and Wellness Center is opening in northeast OKC

After years of planning and various delays in construction, Oklahoma City officials and northeast residents are celebrating the long-awaited opening of the newest MAPS 3 Senior Health and Wellness Center in the city's northeast side.

Located at 3740 N Lincoln Blvd. next to Homeland, the $12.4 million, 45,000-square-foot center opened Friday, with Community Health Centers of Oklahoma as its operator. Community Health Centers CEO Isabella Lawson said she was excited by the local response ahead of the launch, as more than 200 people already had signed up for membership before the doors opened.

“We are extremely excited to offer all of the different activities and for our classes, and also for people to bring in their specialties and talents to make sure that this center is a community center for everyone,” Lawson said.

What's inside the new MAPS 3 Senior Health and Wellness Center?

The center, constructed by W.L. McNatt & Co. and designed by Blatt Architects, will provide wellness and social connections for people ages 50 and up. The facility features a heated lap and therapy pool, a health clinic, a large fitness center, a gym, an elevated indoor walking and jogging track, a demonstration kitchen, classroom space, recreational and sports activities, and other resources.

Design and construction was funded through the city's MAPS 3 program, a $777 million debt-free multi-project initiative to improve the city using a one-cent sales tax from 2010 to 2017. MAPS program manager David Todd said that, while the new center shares common amenities with two previous wellness centers built elsewhere through MAPS 3, the building was crafted to address needs the city heard from the eastside community.

"I think this is one of those things that people don’t realize they need until they experience it," Todd said. "It’s also kind of the heart of the localized community in that this is a place to go, and, you know, people can be there that you can meet, you can hear what’s going on, you can talk. There’s pool tables, cards and dominoes and those kinds of activities, so it’s really a gathering place as much as a place to work out."

The center also hosts a videographic art project called "Seeds of Change." Lawson said the installation's unique and projected animation features the stories of dozens of individuals important to the history of northeast Oklahoma City's Black community. Recognized as an educational resource by Langston University and the OKC Arts Commission, "Seeds of Change" was created by a local team led by Anton Morton in collaboration with Nick Bayer, Eric Sourie, Keaton Towns and Pamela Zeljak.

Long road to northeast OKC wellness center opening

Although the center has long been in the works, various obstacles along the way stalled its completion. MAPS officials said complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, labor and supply chain shortages, and issues with pricing slowed the project schedule.

Langston University, Oklahoma's only historically Black college, also had agreed in 2018 to be the main operator of the center while partnering with the YMCA. But after being gifted the former KWTV News 9 studio building by Griffin Media in 2022, Langston University leaders withdrew their commitment to run the wellness center, saying they felt the school could not financially handle both projects.

The city accepted applications until the end of spring this year, before announcing Community Health Centers as the new operator in October.

Longtime YMCA Lincoln Park Senior Center closing Friday

Intentionally designed to feature more meeting space than previous MAPS 3 wellness centers, the new facility is expected to serve thousands of adults in northeast Oklahoma City neighborhoods. The new center opened the same day as the planned closure of the YMCA Lincoln Park Senior Center, which had operated at 4712 N Martin Luther King Ave. for 37 years.

To acknowledge the former center's legacy and encourage the transition, the Lincoln Park Senior Center plans to host a silent auction of various items and memorabilia Monday through Wednesday, with proceeds going to senior scholarships in the future. A yard sale also was planned for the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 15.

"It has been an honor to serve alongside our staff and the seniors who have created a close-knit community hub," Kelly Kay, CEO of YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, said in a statement. "Though I will miss all the friendships and special activities we have enjoyed for years, we have worked hard to ensure a smooth transition. All of us at the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City are excited to see the members move to the long-awaited MAPS 3 Senior Health & Wellness Center and all it will provide for those under the competent care of the Community Health Centers of Oklahoma."

YMCA is set to operate the fourth MAPS 3 wellness center at 13660 S Western Ave., expected to be completed in 2024. The MAPS 4 program also includes $16.7 million to construct a fifth wellness center.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: New MAPS 3 senior center opens Friday in northeast Oklahoma City