The Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County is moving further west to their new property at 3001 West 2nd Street — the corner of West 2nd Street and Carter Road. The building is not expected to start construction until next Spring.
Watch the announcement here.
Executive Director of the Senior Community Center Becky Barnhart said the location is about 8 acres, and the blueprints are conceptual, not the final design for the land. Nonetheless, they plan to include some elements, like the walking path.
Barnhart said they hope to break ground next Spring and hold an open house in 2026. The designs have yet to be finalized.
With the new location, Barnhart said they are open to partnerships with neighbors Botanical Gardens and the Owensboro Humane Society. This includes potential programs for their members at the Gardens and a Meals on Wheels version for pets.
As reported previously, Board members hoped the new location would be a new space and that they would be the space’s first tenants. Barnhart said this location meets just that.
“It is what we want. We decided early on, as the committee, that we haven’t mentioned, that our preference was always going to be that we create brand new and not move into something else and renovate,” Barnhart said.
The Center completed a survey among the community, and many asked for the new location to be more centrally located. With the move out further West, Board Chair Pam Smith-Wright said that she’s reminded that “centrally located” is subjective.
“When people talk about something being central, it depends on where you are. Just like one man said, ‘that’s right down the street from me,’ it’s pretty central for him, but for me, who lives on the other side of town, it’s not very central,” she said.
The Senior Center formed a location search committee and completed the search in 6 months. Barnhart said the land was appraised for $1.5 million, and the City of Owensboro purchased it for $1 million. Smith-Wright noted that this was not the only location they considered.
Other plots include the front lawn of the current Center, some land near Waymond Morris Park, the ATA’s office at 300 Southtown Blvd and 250 Southtown Blvd.
In addition to the move, Mayor Tom Watson said the City will commit $4.5 million to the project—$1 million for the purchase of the site and $3.5 million for construction.
“It is a City agency so we’re very thankful to the County government for contributing $2 million to the project,” Watson said.
Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said that he had been waiting for this day for several years now and he was glad to support this.
“I’ve stood by the sidelines and said it’s a City agency, but we’ll help them with $2 million. We kept our word and I look forward to the day this shop opens and we have the groundbreaking and ribbon cutting,” Castlen said.
