Eastgate Town Center will handle construction for a new space meant for exclusive programming aimed at older Chattanoogans, according to a Tuesday presentation.
Right now, the majority of older adult programming is funneled to Glenwood Community Center, where participants have complained of cramped space and a lack of community. Cedric Henson, who leads the city’s Department of Community Development, said listening sessions yielded feedback that ranged from temperature issues to parking problems to restrictive hours.
In November, Henson told Glenwood’s Senior Advisory Board that the city was working on a proposal to move older adult programming to the Eastgate Town Center.
“This was not a top-down decision,” Henson said during the presentation. “The Senior Advisory Board was engaged at every step of this process … They really helped us to see the blueprint for long-term success.”
Programming was at Eastgate until 2023. The city was paying about $100,000 annually for a center there at the time, which the city’s then-chief operating officer, Ryan Ewalt, said could be better invested into upgrading existing facilities for older adults and completing a study on more permanent arrangements. Ewalt resigned in 2024 for a job in the private sector.
City officials have since called the decision to close down programming at Eastgate a mistake.
The new place will be 50% larger than the previous space at 15,000 square feet. It will have accessible restrooms, several kitchen areas and a conference room — all initial requests from the older adults for a different space.
Eastgate Town Center will use the city’s blueprint to build out the space, and the city will handle the cost. Henson said the lease and construction costs are still under negotiation, though during the November meeting he said it will likely be higher than the $100,000 the city was originally paying annually. The space will likely open up sometime in June.
Members of the advisory board wore white shirts adorned with the phrase “seniors matter” during the Tuesday meeting. They weren’t the only people in the audience in support of a separate space for older adults — sisters from the historically Black Delta Sigma Theta sorority adorned in red and white also sat through the presentation and spoke during public comment. Many came as part of the Chattanooga chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons.
Lina Robinson Hart has participated in line dance classes at Glenwood as part of the older adults’ programming. She spoke during the public comment period, saying she was grateful for the city’s efforts to give people her age more elbow room for those dance classes and other exercise activities.
But she’d still like to see plans move forward for a separate, stand-alone senior center in the future. Hart said a senior center would have the opportunity to get sponsorships for its programs.
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“A stand-alone center for seniors, for me, is a win-win,” Hart said. “Seniors would be able to have an inviting, safe place to get out of the house, develop strong personal ties and engage their minds, bodies and souls. The city would be applauded for caring deeply for those who have given so much of their time and resources in their many years here in Chattanooga.”
City officials have said plans for a stand-alone center are in the works. Council member Dennis Clark of Cherokee Woods said via phone that the Eastgate plan is “semipermanent,” meaning the ultimate goal is for the city to build its own senior center.
But that may not happen before the end of Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s term, Clark said. Kelly’s term runs until 2029.
Members of the advisory board have expressed similar sentiments about wanting a stand-alone center in the past. Irene Eubanks and Gracelia Moore both said in an interview that a fresh center will always be what the board and the AARP chapter will push for.
Vanessa Bell, who also participates in programming, feels the same way, she said during the public comment period. She noted that older Chattanoogans have only had temporary locations for programming, for years now. A permanent center would also allow more health care opportunities inside a potential city-owned facility, Bell said.
“Families need and will need assistance for their seniors,” Bell said. “They need to have a space to have a sense of belonging in the community and keep their independence strong. And remember, we are living longer.”
Contact city and county reporter Siena Duncan at sduncan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.