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Council on aging breaks ground for new facility.
#OceanaCountyCouncilonAging
By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.
HART — The Oceana County Council on Aging broke ground Thursday, Aug. 16, for its new $1.3 million facility on Tyler Road.
The 9,000-square-foot facility, funded by a millage increase of .25 mills approved by voters in 2016, will more than double the size of the current facility on East Main Street, said Robin Rash, expansion committee member.
“It’s a great day for all of us here. I want you to savor the moment,” said OCCOA Board Chairman Dick Walsworth as several committee and board members, employees, senior citizens, construction representatives, bank representatives, community members and other officials gathered at the site for the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It’s going to be a beautiful building, and we’re going to do it most cost-effectively,” said Volunteer Project Manager Doug Bacon.
Blackmer Construction of Pentwater is the general contractor for the project, and Shelby State Bank is financing it.
The new facility will offer a larger kitchen and dining area. The current facility has a dining room capacity of 100, Walsworth said, and the new building will be able to accommodate 275-300 people.
The new building will also include a clinical office for physician visits and various activity rooms. OCCOA has been housed in its current facility in 1992, and the organization has existed for 46 years.
“Our new building theme will come from the local farms and history of Oceana County, with the idea of a post-and-beam structure that mimics the warmth and inviting charm of an old family barn. This new senior center is for everyone – whether they are already seniors, or the ‘future’ seniors,” Rash said.
The current building on East Main Street will be converted into a adult day care center, Walsworth said.
Construction of the new building will begin by September or sooner, and it is expected to be completed in less than a year.
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