Jackson senior center to apply for $200,000 grant

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Jackson Senior Citizens Center will make a second attempt to secure a Community Development Block Grant needed to construct its new home.

In February, the center applied for a $300,000 grant that was denied. Richard Aguilar, vice president of the center's board of directors, said they were not told why the previous application was turned down.

Tonight, center officials will ask the Jackson Board of Aldermen to sponsor their application for another grant through the program, this time for $200,000.

The current center at 402 E. Washington is housed in a former grocery store. Aguilar said the building is too small for the center's needs. The building they propose to construct would be about twice as large and would provide much more parking.

The site on East Washington Street has only 30 parking spaces.

The center averages about 95 meals at the site during the noon hour and also sometimes plays host to bingo players in the same dining area. It's difficult for the building to serve meals and bingo players at the same time, Aguilar said.

Administrator Debbie Stockton works out of an 8-by-10 room, and the center has no conference rooms.

A larger storage area for food and increased refrigeration also are needed, Aguilar said, along with space for crafts programs.

The lack of space made giving flu shots at the center impossible so the program was switched to the American Legion post, where Aguilar is the commander.

"It's very crowed right now," he said of the senior center.

The proposed building, which has only a preliminary design, would cost about $500,000. The center already has the land.

The senior center owns the current building, which has been appraised at $140,000. "We have some money stashed away, but we'll be way shy of $500,000," Aguilar says. "We intend to try to raise the rest of the money."

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182