Maryland and Baltimore County officials broke ground Tuesday on a project that will more than triple the footprint of the Woodlawn Senior Center.
The senior center expansion is slated to open in early 2024. During renovations, the recreation center next door will remain open. Seniors will also be able to meet at the Morningstar Baptist Church Outreach Center, located at 6665 Security Blvd.
The current 3,600-square-foot senior center will expand by about 9,200 square feet with the addition of a large multipurpose room, a fitness center, two classrooms, and a council office space. The center will also have 50 parking spaces, double the current number of spaces.
The $6.7 million project will be supported by $2 million in state funding, an $800,000 Maryland Department of Aging grant, and $3.9 million in Baltimore County capital funding.
“Our senior centers are vital community anchors for so many of Baltimore County’s older adults, and this high-quality expansion will accommodate Woodlawn Senior Center’s rapidly growing member base,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement. “This investment will create more equitable opportunities for our county’s seniors, helping to ensure our neighbors can stay active, stay connected, and age in place.”
Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka, whose district includes the Woodlawn Senior Center, said the expansion project will help better serve older residents.
“The Woodlawn Senior Center has been an important place for our older adults and the entire community for many years,” Patoka said in a statement. “It is so exciting that we are now expanding the senior center to be a state-of-the-art facility that we can all be proud of.”
Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones said the senior center has more than 1,000 members. Jones said in a statement that the “expansion is a much-needed and exciting development for the community.”
Officials said the expanded center’s multipurpose room will be able to accommodate “two pickleball courts, large line dancing or aerobics classes, parties and celebrations.”
The additional space will allow for a wider range of activities and help improve residents’ health, said Laura D. Riley, director of the Baltimore County Department of Aging.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer an expanded center for the older adults of Woodlawn,” Riley said in a statement. “Adding a fitness center will help improve health outcomes, and having year-round flexible space for line dancing, special events and pickleball will allow the center staff to further expand the diversity of programs offered.”
This project has been a long time coming, said Patty Delotch, president of the senior council for the county’s Department of Aging.
“We have been waiting for this day for many years,” Delotch said in a statement. “Our membership has grown to more than 1,000 individuals and the Center is bursting at the seams!”
Residents can call 410-887-6887 for more information about the Woodlawn Senior Center.
