Town Of Arlington: Senior Center To Reopen As Arlington Community Center In March

Press release from Town of Arlington:

02/23/2022 11:16 AM

The major renovations at Arlington’s Central School building at 20 Academy Street/27 Maple Street are nearing completion. Work began in March of 2020, and after two years of phased work, the building will be open to the public as the Arlington Community Center beginning in March.

The $8 million project funded by the Town of Arlington achieved four goals:

• Developing a modern, expanded space on the ground and first floors dedicated to the Council on Aging, Arlington Senior Association, and community events and activities;
• Improving major building systems, including HVAC, electrical, bathrooms, and the building exterior;
• Relocating the Health and Human Services Department, including Veterans’ Services, to the 2nd floor; and
• Modernizing the building for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Older adults will soon be able to enjoy comfortable social spaces in the Community Center including: a bright and sunny art room, a drop-in room for casual socialization, workspaces with internet access, a cafe, a library with fireplace, a yoga room, a games room, a lounge outfitted with two tournament-sized pool tables, and a new commercial kitchen for cooking classes and nutrition seminars. Minuteman Senior Services will use the kitchen daily for Meals on Wheels and congregate dining. Reconfigurations to Council on Aging offices will allow older residents to access social services in a single, central location.

“When the plans for the Community Center were first being created, we had no idea that a worldwide pandemic would severely impact all our lives,” said Kristine Shah, Director of the Council on Aging. “The timing for the re-opening could not be more crucial, as so many older adults have struggled with social isolation during the past two years. To ensure the safety of our seniors, and thanks to technology upgrades, our programs will be available in a hybrid format allowing those who are comfortable to attend events/activities in person and others to participate virtually.”

The Council on Aging and Arlington Seniors Association are grateful to the generosity of the community for raising more than $170,000 for the center's new furnishings. In addition, the Cafe, Library, Art Room, Pool Room and Yoga Room were sponsored by local families and businesses.

“The Arlington Community Center is a wonderful asset to the Town that can be enjoyed in many ways,” said Jennifer Raitt, Arlington’s Director of Planning and Community Development. “We look forward to when we can welcome the public to these spaces in the near future.”

Several renovated and upgraded rooms will be available to the community for rent for meetings and events. Spaces that can be rented include the main hall—which received acoustic and technology improvements and can be divided into two rooms—meeting rooms, and the Art Room. The commercial kitchen will also be available for rent for events, by caterers, and entrepreneurs looking to start and grow successful food businesses. A separate announcement about room bookings will be provided. Rooms are offered by the Department of Planning and Community Development.

Project History
The Arlington Redevelopment Board manages the Central School property. In 2015, the Town created the Central School Feasibility Study Group, composed of representatives from Health and Human Services, Arlington Redevelopment Board, Town Manager’s Office, Arlington Senior Association, Council on Aging, and Capital Planning Committee. Sterling Associates Inc. Architects (SAIA) was hired to conduct a feasibility study, which reviewed existing building conditions, considered current and projected programming in the building, and provided general specifications, drawings, and estimated construction cost. In 2017, the Town hired Vertex as the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) and SAIA as the architect to design plans that were responsive to the issues identified by the feasibility study.

For additional questions and information about the new Community Center and rentable spaces, please contact Jennifer Raitt, Director of Planning and Community Development at 781-316-3092 or Kristine Shah, Director of the Arlington Council on Aging at 781-316-3400.

This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.