SOUTH HADLEY — The $9.8 million South Hadley Senior Center is buzzing with activity as the campus begins to open for tours and limited programming.
Over the last few weeks, staff have been leading tours of the new facility on Dayton Street, a welcoming brick structure that melds well with the residential neighborhood. Visitors are greeted by staff at the spacious reception desk.
Natural and energy-saving lighting brings the décor to life, a mix of purple, apple green, and muted tones covering the walls. The furniture and fixtures are modern and comfortable, also imbued with bright prints and designs.
EDM architecture, engineering and management of Unionville, Connecticut, was the lead designer.
Leslie Hennessy, the South Hadley Council Aging’s executive director, said the center offers limited programming over the coming weeks. She asked that members register for programs, respect time limits and avoid clustering, an ongoing concern in the age of COVID-19. “We plan to be 100% by September,” she said.
The Council Aging has posted a mask statement at the front entrance, including policies for masks and vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors.
Hennessey said construction began 18 months ago and experienced blips along the way caused by the pandemic. In November 2019, the Council Aging temporarily moved operations to St. Theresa of Lisieux Church up the street.
Hennessey and her staff had limited access to the construction site. “It took my breath away,” she said of the new building. “It was just as we designed it, and it’s this little pearl.” She praised the building committee, which kept costs down and came in under budget.
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The new center offers full access for visitors indoors and out, fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “The whole building is accessible, and there are no barriers,” Hennessy said.
She described the old building as “difficult” to navigate, especially for persons with mobility issues. The exterior of the new building has no curbs, rises or impediments. “A lot of work went into making it all accessible,” she said.
Hennessey thanked PeoplesBank for a $150,000 donation toward the project.
The center’s café will open in September and likely will become a daily destination for members before a full day of activities. Hennessey expects the remaining equipment for the café to arrive in the coming weeks.
The billiard room has two regulation pool tables donated by the Friends of the South Hadley Seniors. The pool tables contain storage drawers for cues, balls and racks. Industrial-looking copper lights hang above.
Large multipurpose rooms will host the center’s daily lunch and other large-scale events. An electronically operated divider separates the space.
The theme of bold patterns and materials continues with the rooms’ décor. “We wanted this to be a bright, alert and colorful center,” Hennessey said. “We had a design team that took this very seriously.”
A commercial-grade kitchen was installed in the multipurpose room. Western Massachusetts Elder Care will run the lunch program, which includes a nominal, confidential fee charged to diners.
Hennessy envisions the multipurpose rooms used for Selectboard and other town meetings. In addition, built-in camera and audio systems allow taping or livestreaming events over Channel 15, the town’s cable access station.
Combined, both rooms can host up to 125 guests.
A room is reserved for playing cards and board games. Frosted glass allows for some privacy, tamping down on the “fishbowl” effect, Hennessey noted. In addition, large windows look out over the nearby homes.
“The architect designed this building to fit into the neighborhood,” she said. “The thought was they didn’t want to have a big building in this beautiful, residential area. So the building is arranged in three sections.”
The Arts and Crafts Room pops with bright greens and other unabashed colors. “You can’t help but be inspired when you come into this room,” Hennessey said. The center hosts an annual art show in June, which will resume next year.
To get the blood pumping, members can take dance or yoga classes in the Movement Room or work out in the Fitness Center. A meandering walking path will lead members around the complex and baseball diamond.
Hennessey said senior centers now cater to several generations of members, starting with people in their late 50s, all wanting a community connection and more activities.
“The Baby Boomers have turned adult programming kind of upside down and all around, which is great,” she said.
The center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Council on Aging’s webpage.
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