Office on Aging preparing for move to Morning Pointe
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Volunteers and county employees go through stored items at 205 Main Street Monday in preparation for a move to a new home. They are, from left, Brenda Kuziak, Director Cherie Phillips, Janet Elliott, Eulene Miller, Gladys Tsimbids, Jesse Bunch, Kenneth Childress and Sue Conner. - Ken Leinart
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Who doesn’t like a giant “Odie” head? County employees Jesse Bunch and Kenneth Childress show off a “find” stored at 205 Main Street. - Ken Leinart
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While 205 Main is being cleared, volunteers Sue Conner, left, and Felicia Foust worked at the Anderson County Office on Aging, preparing boxes of food and essentials to be delivered to seniors. - Ken Leinart
Last week the Anderson County Office on Aging turned its attention to 205 Main Street.
Although the building was never “fully” used as a senior center, there was about a two- or three-week span where plans were being made for how to the use space in the building.
Long enough to move a few items into storage — freeing up much needed space at the facility on Edgewood Avenue — and long enough to discover the multitude of problems and concerns at 205 Main.
On Monday, May 18, Anderson County Commission accepted a bid of $300,000 for the building from Rusty Wallace Chevrolet.
Last week, Anderson County Office on Aging Director Cherie Phillips and a slew of volunteers and county employees began sorting the items stored there.
“We’ll determine what we need to keep and hopefully an online auction can be set up for the rest,” Phillips said Monday, June 1.
She said she has not been given a date to have everything cleared from the building, but she’s assuming it’s not too far off.
Anderson County closed on its purchase of the former Faith Promise Church at Mariner Pointe in early May, but Phillips said they are still waiting for architects to submit final renovation plans on the new home of the senior center — and then for the work to be completed — before moving items there.
“There isn’t much to be done,” she said. “But it’s a process and it takes time.”
Meanwhile, volunteers and county workers are getting ready to move.
Even when the work at the new facility is finished, the new senior center may not be open. Phillips said that will depend on the governor of Tennessee’s timeline on opening places like senior centers.
As of now, by executive order from the governor, senior centers remain closed.
“There’s a sense of urgency,” Phillips said. “But all we can really do is wait.”