FAQ

Ayer, like much of the country, is aging.  More than 25% of Ayer residents are over age 60.  Nearly 40% of adults in Ayer are over age 60.  There are more older adults in Ayer than there are children in the school system.  The “graying” of Ayer will continue for several decades, so the Senior Center needs a more suitable space to address the diverse needs of our older adults.

A thriving senior center is a health promotion hub, a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and thrive as we age.  A modern senior center will help Ayer’s older adults stay independent by providing a supportive community as they age.  Senior Centers provide low-cost meals, transportation, health education and screening, fitness classes, and a variety of social, educational, and recreational programs.

These programs help older adults stay physically fit, and provide opportunities to socialize and avoid the perils of loneliness and isolation.  Senior centers also offer programs to engage the mind and opportunities to volunteer.  They are a single destination for vital social services that address food insecurity, health insurance coverage, housing, and financial hardships associated with fixed income.

Caring for the older adults of our community is the right thing to do.  The programs offered help older adults stay healthy and independent longer; delay or better manage the onset of chronic disease; and experience improvements in their physical, social, emotional, mental, and economic well-being.  Healthy older adults stay in their homes longer, which creates a financial advantage/balance for Town finances.  The Town of Ayer should be proud of the way it invests in its people.  We’ve invested in many other groups and facilities over time – now is the time to invest in older adults.

The Ayer Senior Center is currently housed in the basement of the Ayer Housing Authority on Pond St.  The 1,700sq f space has served older adults since the 1980s.  It is inadequate for our current and future needs:

  • Not enough parking
  • Not ADA compliant
  • Not enough program space
  • Not enough office space
  • No private meeting space
  • Rented building, hard to find
  • Lacks a commericial kitchen

The approved new senior center has a total project cost of $15.1 million dollars. The project funding comes from a variety of sources:

  • The Town of Ayer has demonstrated their support for this project via use of $1,000,000 in UDAG funds and $2,000,000 in Capital Stabilization funds.  The goal is to reduce the impact to the taxpayers.
  • The Committee secured $428,000 in grant funds and legislative earmarks to support the project to this point. 
  • At the Fall 2025 Town Meeting, voters approved borrowing no more than $11.5 million for the senior center.  The target is to borrow $10M, but the warrant article read $11.5M in an effort to create a contingency for the project to move forward even if the expected grants are not awarded.  The taxpayer impact for the $10M borrow is anticipated to be no more than $143 per household, annually, for the average household in Ayer (based on the current tax rate of $11.96 per $1,000 in value and $550,000 as the median Ayer residential home value).  If the $11.5M borrow is needed, the tax impact would be $165 per household, annually. 
  • The Town has submitted a CDBG grant for $950,000 (decision pending).
  • The Town has submitted a Municipal ADA Improvement Grant for $244,000 (decision pending).  

Operational costs associated with the new senior center were estimated by the Town Facilities Director and Senior Center Director.  The current senior center budget is approx. $250,000 per year and includes staff, services, programs, supplies, and rent.  This is 0.7% of the total Town Budget.  The Facilities Director estimated $108,000 annually for the operations and maintenance of the building, including utilities, routine maintenance, permits/inspections, custodial services, and custodial supplies.  Additionally, the Senior Center Director anticipates hiring one additional full-time staff member, and an increases in supplies and services totaling $75,000.  The total estimated omnibus budget increase is $183,000.  Therefore, the new Senior Center budget is estimated to be $435,000, which is 1.2% of the total Town budget.

The approved senior center is approximately 13,000 square feet, on two levels. 

Senior centers need a variety of flexible spaces to allow for a diversity of programming that matches the diversity of what it means to be an older adults.  People in their 60s often have different goals and interests than people in their 70s, 80s, 90s.  Take exercise as an example.  Some older adults are interested in dance-based programs like hip-hop or line dancing.  Some are interested in strength training.  Some need balance training or chair-based exercise.  Others prefer stretching, yoga, tai chi, or Qi Gong.  Others need specialized fitness classes geared towards surgery prep or rehab, condition-specific programs such as Parkinson’s Disease.  It requires significant space to offer these amenities. 

The approved senior center was designed using evidence-based practices:

  • The Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence (AGE) no longer makes an official recommendation, but until recently, has recommended  5-6
    sq ft per older adult, based on US Census. For Ayer’s 2,200 older adults, TODAY, that
    is 11,000 – 13,200 sq ft. For the 3,135 older adults in Ayer projected by 2030, that’s
    15,675 – 18,810 sq ft.
  • More than a dozen Towns in MA who recently built senior centers told us their
    buildings were already too small.
  • Catlin Architecture, one of the most experienced architects in this sector,
    recommends building just above the AGE recommendations.
  • Nearly 50 older adults attended a public input session when this effort began in 2019
    and said these are the features they want.
  • Ayer’s Ph.D-trained Gerontologist and COA Director recommends this size building.

The primary purpose of the building is to be a senior center during the normal workday hours (including some evening hours).  Intergenerational programs are a part of a modern senior center.  Additionally, this building will be a resource for broader use, if the Town wishes.  For example, community organizations could rent out the space for a nominal fee, after hours.  Town Boards and Committees could meet in the space.  Large community events may be able to reserve the multi-purpose room as a rain location.  The large generator could allow the senior center to be used as a heating/cooling station during inclement weather.

 

If you’d like to support the new senior center, there are many way to help:

  • Volunteer for the Senior Center Building Committee (one open position).  Contact the Town Manager’s Office to learn more.
  • Join the Friends of the Ayer Senior Center, a 501c3 organization dedicated to supporting senior center programs and services, including the proposed new building.  You can donate your time, talent, and treasures to help reduce the cost of the building.  Check out the Friends on Facebook or email them at FriendsOfAyerSeniorCenter@gmail.com