Stow residents welcome purchase of church property for new senior center
Seniors in Stow and surrounding communities will soon have a new gathering place.
The city finalized the purchase of the Cornerstone Community Church on Fishcreek Road Thursday evening. Stow will purchase the church building and property for $738,500.
The city aims to open the new senior center in time for the annual Celebrate Stow week activities in late June and early July, Mayor John Pribonic said.
"Last year, we had our ribbon-cutting for our SKiP Playground," Pribonic said. "This year, we will have something for our seniors and the community. It's going to be a very big positive."
Pribonic said Thursday evening that work would begin the next day. He said he anticipates the city will spend about $250,000 to renovate the building and grounds. Improvements will include installing a new sprinkler system, putting in a new HVAC system and repaving the parking lot.
The move from the current senior center on Darrow Road is going to be a welcome change, said Sharon Werstler, who attends several senior events on a regular basis. She appreciates the activities provided for not only Stow seniors, but seniors in other communities. But lack of space at the Darrow Road building has been a frustrating issue, she said.
"There's a lot of residents that get turned away" because of limited room, Werstler said. "Seniors from other communities like to come here, and that brings revenue to the city. They come here, then go out later to dine and shop in our restaurants and stores. We can increase the number of activities we do. We can have more than one thing going at a time."
The current senior center is less than 1,700 square feet and can only accommodate a maximum of 49 individuals at one time. The church property, constructed in 1994 on about 5 acres of land, would provide more than four times the space with more than 8,000 square feet and a capacity of 533 individuals.
Pribonic said the current senior center on Darrow Road would be used as rental space for groups and events.
A third of Stow's residents are seniors, Werstler said, and that population is growing.
"More than 16,000 are 50 and older," she said. "Seniors today are a lot different than in previous generations. We are more active, we are more engaged. We like to go out and stay busy."
Stow resident Donald Stearns agreed.
"I like to be with people and I like to do things," Sterns said. "This is a great place for seniors. We have the greatest senior programs in the area."
With the church purchase, the city will be even better for seniors, Sterns added.
Ward 3 Councilman John Baranek said purchasing the church property makes sense for the city.
"It expands what we can do," Baranek said. "It's accessible. If they city were to construct a building that size, it would cost four times as much, nd we would have to pay interest."
Council President Cyle Feldman said the senior center could even be a revenue stream for the city through rentals for activities such as birthday parties.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stow OKs purchase of church property to create larger senior center
