City of Easthampton Launches Senior Center Building Committee

EASTHAMPTON — Mayor Nicole LaChapelle has selected members of the Senior Center Building Committee, which will begin meeting in September to plan for the construction of a new senior center.

In addition to city officials and staff, they include Thomas Brown, Council on Aging (COA) vice chair; Leslie Button, COA secretary; Patrick Brough, COA member; Daniel Rist, Erika Kuester, and Ann Longley, Friends of the COA; Bonnie McLoud, Commission on Disabilities; Tony Karella; David Paquette; and Elizabeth McAnulty.

The Easthampton Council on Aging and Enrichment Center is located in the former Easthampton Post Office on the corner of Union and High streets. Built in 1933, it is listed on the National Historic Register, which limits changes that can be made to it. There have been discussions in various city governance groups about the center, including relocating it to one of the former school buildings, to the former Manchester Hardware building, and the now-vacant Walgreens on Union Street. The COA board has rejected all of those options in favor of building a new construction senior center.

In the fall of 2023, the mayor formed an ad hoc Building Committee to review the experience of comparable communities that have built new senior centers recently and suggest models and features a new senior center would have to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that caters to their unique needs and interests.

The mayor accepted its recommendations in January, including separate and subdividable spaces that support small or large groups, events of various sizes, and meals; audio-visual technology; hearing- and vision-inclusive design; adequate private office space for staff to conduct appointments with residents; and sufficient parking, similar to comparable centers.