Creation of Senior Center raises questions

Kent City Council has been approached by Kent State about the creation of a senior center.

Councilwoman Melissa Long, mentioned that she was approached by the university when seeking funding for a center within the city and was told that it was something already taken into consideration in the new campus master plan.

“They said that if the city does not want to do a senior center that in their new plan … That they want to do a senior center. On campus. They are already thinking about that,” she said.
The University’s version of a senior center would be included within the new “Intergenerational Complex” that is going to be built on the site of the former Allerton Apartments.

The Allerton Apartments, built in 1962 and 1965 were designed to house students with families and international students. The apartments were closed in three stages, the first beginning in 2012 and the last in 2015, as the buildings neared the end of their life-span and became too costly for the university to update.

The lot has since sat empty, but will contain a new complex said to be an “inter-generational housing model to include students, family, faculty and community options,” as stated within the Master Plan documents.

City council is still looking into ways of funding and planning for a senior center despite this news. Members such as Heidi Schaffer, agreed that the community is aging and in need of diverse services.

“Already we’re going to have a huge amount of diversity in my opinion as we try and work through this,” she said.

Roger Sidoti also agreed that a solution is needed to help serve the community.

“We have already demonstrated a philosophical foundation that we want to add value to everyone’s lives in this community.”