Reading Seeks Input On New Senior/Community Center

READING, MA — A new town survey is asking community members to help shape plans to potentially add a new senior/community center in Reading.

The survey opened on Thursday morning and will remain available through the end of September. Results are confidential, according to the town, looking to gauge community priorities for a possible new facility.

Currently operating out of the Pleasant Street Center at 49 Pleasant Street in Reading, the town’s Elder and Human Services Division has run into recent capacity concerns, the town said.

A 2017 report from UMass Boston and the town of Reading assessed some of those concerns, flagging a variety of issues.

“Increasingly, space limitations have restricted opportunities to expand programming and introduce updated design features in the existing space,” the town said in its recent survey announcement, citing the 2017 report.

The report noted Reading’s increasing senior population before recommending improved accessibility at the Pleasant Street Center, a public awareness campaign about existing town elder services and a possible expansion of Human Services Division facilities, among several other things.

“In response to these challenges, the Town of Reading is engaged in a planning process to explore the development of a new senior center or community center that offers new opportunities for the expansion of programming and new features,” the town said this week.

An envisioned new senior/community center project would be dubbed the Reading Center for Active Living, according to the town.

While the 2017 report made recommendations, it did not detail specifics on the scope of possible facilities expansions or the financial cost of those expansions.

Reading’s ongoing community survey is open to all within the Reading community. It is available online here. Respondents can alternatively call 617-287-7413 or email csdra@umb.edu to set up a time to respond to the survey over the phone.