Stow City Council to Vote on New Senior Center Jan. 25
Church Property Offers More Space for Senior and Community Activities
Stow City Council will have its third and final meeting to discuss and vote on the acquisition of the Cornerstone Church on Fishcreek Rd. for use as a senior and community center on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 pm in City Council Chambers.
The legislation authorizing the purchase calls for a cash deal of $738,500 plus up to $15,000 in closing costs. The administration will use funds it had planned to allocate this year for a splash pad at SKiP Park, pushing that project back to 2025.
According to Mayor John Pribonic, who spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Stow Sunshine Project Club on Jan. 15, the deal to purchase the church came together quickly when he found out about its availability in December. City council members, members of the Parks & Recreation Board, Senior Citizen Commission and others were invited for a walk-through of the facility during the week after Christmas.
The 8,040-sq.-ft. building, which sits on 5 acres, is well suited to replace the much smaller current senior center on Darrow Rd., Pribonic said, offering multiple rooms, a kitchen and much more space for the diverse programming that the Parks & Recreation Department offers.
While the 30-year-old building is in good overall condition, it will need a few updates, Pribonic noted, including a new HVAC system, fire suppression system and paving of the parking lot. He expected the cost of those updates to be around $250,000. The new facility would have enough space for both senior and community activities, Pribonic said, with room to grow in the future, if necessary. Once the transition to the new facility is complete, the current senior center on Darrow Rd. could be used for event rentals, he said.
City Council President Cyle Feldman emphasized in an interview on Jan. 22 the immediate need for a larger facility, pointing out the large number of senior activities in 2023 for which there were waiting lists.
For example, a Scam Bingo event held last August was completely booked with 25 participants and had a waiting list of 17 people, according to the Stow Parks & Recreation 2023 Annual Report. A celebration of National Strawberry Day last July had 40 people enrolled and turned away 14 people.
The current senior center has a maximum capacity of 49 people, depending on the activity. There are more than 10,000 residents in Stow over the age of 55.
Information about senior activities available through the Stow Parks & Recreation Department can be found by downloading the city's Senior Newsletter on the city's website.
Feldman said he looked forward to bringing the issue up for vote on Jan. 25.
The Parks & Recreation Board, a volunteer group that serves in an advisory capacity to the administration with members nominated by the mayor and confirmed by City Council, submitted a letter to council recommending it pass the legislation to buy the church.
“We understand that this potential acquisition fulfills an immediate need due to the condition and size of the current senior center. We request that this project move forward as soon as possible,” the letter said, signed by board Chairperson Patrick Crawford.
Stow residents are encouraged to offer their input during council’s public comments period at the meeting. Those wishing to provide input but unable to attend the City Council meeting should email their comments by noon on Jan. 24 to clerkofcouncil@stow.oh.us to have their comments entered into the public record.
