NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 1999

CARY TO BREAK GROUND ON
NEW SENIOR CENTER

CARY, NC – Soon, thousands of Cary seniors will have a new place to meet and greet as the Town of Cary prepares to break ground on its new 16,500 square foot senior center at Bond Park. The new center is being built to enhance the quality of leisure activities and services provided by the Town of Cary to all adults ages 55 and older by offering activities that assist, inform, entertain and enrich the lives of the Town of Cary’s citizens. The $2.7 million project should be completed next fall and is being paid for by the Town of Cary as well as a grant from the State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Aging and funding from the NC General Assembly’s annual appropriations for senior centers.

The groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 10:00 AM on Thursday, October 14^th and will take place on the construction site on Maurey O’Dell Drive in Bond Park across from the Genesis United Methodist Church. Bond Park is located at 801 High House Road, across from St. Michael’s Catholic Church. In addition to comments from Cary Mayor Koka Booth and the Town Council, and Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources Director Mary Barry, facility architect Matthew Hale of Hale Architecture and Marie Kappen, Cary Senior Center, Inc. (formally Western Wake Senior Center, Inc.) will offer remarks. The groundbreaking will follow.

"We’re very proud of the cooperative effort that has gone into making the project a reality," said Mary Barry, Director of Cary PRCR. "This center will go a long way in helping the Town meet its commitment to our growing senior population."

Cary’s modern senior center will consist of 3 distinct areas —administration, classroom, and multipurpose—joined by hallways and a large courtyard. The main area will house a large exercise room for aerobics and other fitness activities as well as serve as the check in area and administrative offices for the Senior Center staff. Here, Resources for Seniors staff will offer a variety of services including concealing and first aid. The classroom wing will house four rooms—a media center featuring a computer lab and extensive library of books, resources and books on tape; two "wet" classrooms for "messier" arts and crafts, ceramics, gardening, and many other activities; and one "dry" classroom for a variety of classes and workshops. The multi-purpose area is designed for large gatherings including dances, meetings, and meals. A folding wall will allow for two separate activities. There will be a large, professional catering kitchen ideal for cooking workshops, a Meals on Wheels distribution site and other food related program offerings.

Anyone interested in attending the groundbreaking is asked to call 469-4081 by Monday, October 11^th. Handicapped parking will be available.

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