At the Woodlawn Senior Center (WSC), you might find members playing spades, shooting pool or listening to a guest speaker on any given day. Now that construction has begun at WSC, one of the county’s smallest centers, seniors can look forward to spending time in a building more than triple its current space when it’s finished next year.
The Woodlawn Senior Center’s long-awaited renovation will add approximately 9,200 square feet of space to the existing 3,600-square-foot center. The facility will feature a large multipurpose room that includes two pickleball courts, large line dancing or aerobics classes, parties and celebrations. A fitness center, two additional classrooms and office space will also be included. In addition, the center will have a new parking area with 50 spaces, double its current number.
During the renovation, the adjacent recreation center, where teens and adults come to play basketball and participate in other activities, will remain open for use by all.
While the center is under construction, senior activities moved to Morning Star Baptist Church Outreach Center at 6665 Security Boulevard.
The newly expanded Woodlawn Senior Center is expected to open in early 2024.
“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,” County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement.
He joined state and local elected officials along with senior center members in February to break ground for the expansion. The groundbreaking activities included a line dance and remarks from elected officials and Department of Aging and center leaders.
Olszewski said he recognized that senior centers are an anchor in the community, and the 1,000-plus members at WSC were not adequately serviced by the cramped facility. “We are excited to give you all a place to prosper,” he told a group of community members who had gathered to participate in the groundbreaking.
In her remarks, Patty Delotch, president of Woodlawn Senior Center’s executive board, told attendees, “We have been waiting for this day for many years.” She thanked past presidents Delores Douglass, first WSC president, and Charolene Oliver, immediate past president.
The $6.7 million project includes $2 million in state funding, an $800,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Aging and $3.9 million in county capital funding.
