Commissioners Discuss Plans For New Senior Center

The Muskingum County Commissioners met with the Center for Seniors Director and Board President Thursday morning.

The purpose was to discuss options for the new center after the a half-mill levy failed in tuesday’s primary. Muskingum county commissioner Jim Porter said they are considering a building that is located downtown.

“We’re still in negotiating for the building. We have a building in mind but nothing concrete as far as purchasing it yet. We’re going to wait on their results as far as whether they want us to proceed or not and when that happens, when they get back with us, they said that they’ll get their board together and we’ll proceed then.”

Porter believes the levy failed due to the high cost of building a new center and says he believes utilizing an existing building could be done at a fraction of the estimated 10 million dollars. Porter says he believes the board is is in favor of the plans.

“I think the board is in favor of what we proposed this morning. Again, centrally located, possibly a building downtown, and Jerry brought up earlier, we get accused of just tearing every building down downtown. This is a facility we can renovate and make it a nice facility.”

Porter says they want to make a decision as soon as possible. They do not have intentions of renewing the lease at the current sunrise location in August of 2016.