In Owensboro, Kentucky, seniors, public officials and community leaders gathered Oct. 1 to mark the ribbon-cutting of a new center for older adults from the city and Daviess County. The ceremony marked years of work toward a permanent, purpose-built home for local senior programs.
The City of Owensboro organized the ceremony with Daviess County Fiscal Court at 3001 West 2nd Street, near the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden. The city described the project as a complete replacement of the former Elizabeth Munday Senior Center, with activity and game areas, modern kitchens, multipurpose rooms and additional spaces for programs and community gatherings.
Local reporting described a substantial turnout. The Owensboro Times reported more than 100 people attended, while WFIE described hundreds. WFIE interviewed center member Linda Connor, who said the community had been waiting a long time for the new facility.
The new facility covers about 26,800 square feet on eight acres, according to WFIE. It is arranged on one level and includes a fitness area, a group exercise room, classroom, billiards area, craft room, game room, conference and event space, chapel, outdoor patio and walking areas. The Owensboro Times also reported those amenities.
The rooms give the center space for activities under one roof. The larger event area is intended for dances, meals, programs and other gatherings. Mayor Tom Watson joked at the ceremony that he had learned seniors wanted enough floor space to dance.
The project replaces a much older home. The Elizabeth Munday Senior Center at 1650 West 2nd Street had served local older adults for more than four decades, WFIE reported; the building was at least 90 years old. The new facility is designed to move long-running programs into a purpose-built place for them.
The City acquired the former Robert E. Lee Elementary School in 1981. The center’s own history says the Elizabeth Munday Senior Center opened in that building in 1983. Munday, the county senior services director from 1968 to 1982, advocated for a permanent home for local senior services.
Munday’s connection will continue in the new space. Executive Director David Tucker told The Owensboro Times that her portrait was moved from the former center and will remain prominently displayed near the entrance, carrying her legacy into a new building as the organization moves its programs forward.
WFIE reported organizers described the new center as more than 20 years in the making. Board chair Pam Smith-Wright, a former city commissioner, had once discussed a different proposal for a center on Parrish Avenue; that plan did not advance. She told The Owensboro Times the Oct. 1 ceremony felt like a full-circle moment.
Tucker told reporters some longtime members had feared they might not live to see the new building. Their attendance at the ribbon-cutting brought that long wait into focus for the people who had used the old center and hoped for a replacement.
The roughly $7 million project was funded through a partnership among the City of Owensboro, Daviess County Fiscal Court and the Senior Community Center. The Owensboro Times reported the city contributed $4 million, the county $2.5 million and the center raised the remaining $500,000. WFIE also reported that local foundations, organizations and individual donors helped fund the project.
The fundraising included a local match. According to The Owensboro Times, the county first budgeted $2 million, then offered another $500,000 if the center could raise an equal amount from private sources. The organization met that challenge. The final facility therefore reflects public investment alongside money raised by the group that will operate it.
Membership is free for anyone age 60 or older. Tucker told The Owensboro Times there is no income or ability-to-pay test, and that most programs and activities are offered at no cost. Donation boxes will be available for people who want to contribute, but a donation is not required to join.
After the Oct. 1 ribbon-cutting and open house, the building closed again for final work. It is scheduled to open to the public at 8 a.m. Oct. 19, when regular use of the new space will begin.
Reader responses