HAGERSTOWN, MD- Just a week after striking down the Hagerstown Community College location for the Washington County Senior Center, commissioners have agreed on another location.
"The Willard Street Armory is an option," says Bill Beard, with the Commission on Aging. "It looks like it has a great deal of potential so I'm glad there was a consensus to take the next step."
The county has a grant of over $600,000 which would cover the cost of buying the property from the city. The problem is that it comes with an expiration date, the money is only available until December 31, 2012.
"It's a little bit of shock to make it move this fast after all this time after we haven't come to a good solution for it," says Barbara Hovermill, a concerned senior.
"Anytime any place has been suggested there are people for it and there are people against it," says Beard. "I mean there's no perfect solution."
County officials need to make sure the building is up to code and figure out the cost of renovating it. But after seeing the building for themselves they don't think it'll be a problem.
"When I was younger I spent some time in there as a military person and I think the armory is a great site," says Donald Munson, councilman elect. "It's near Hagerstown, it's accessible bus and it's accessible by automobile."
It's located right behind the municipal golf course, it was the old armory building in Hagerstown.
"It already has a gymnasium in it and it has plenty of parking around it. It has amenities that I think would be good for seniors," says Munson.
County officials say the armory is slightly larger than the building that would've been built at Hagerstown Community College except this one is half the price.
It's up to the new mayor and council to decide if they want to be part of the Senior Center Project.
"The Willard Street Armory is an option," says Bill Beard, with the Commission on Aging. "It looks like it has a great deal of potential so I'm glad there was a consensus to take the next step."
The county has a grant of over $600,000 which would cover the cost of buying the property from the city. The problem is that it comes with an expiration date, the money is only available until December 31, 2012.
"It's a little bit of shock to make it move this fast after all this time after we haven't come to a good solution for it," says Barbara Hovermill, a concerned senior.
"Anytime any place has been suggested there are people for it and there are people against it," says Beard. "I mean there's no perfect solution."
County officials need to make sure the building is up to code and figure out the cost of renovating it. But after seeing the building for themselves they don't think it'll be a problem.
"When I was younger I spent some time in there as a military person and I think the armory is a great site," says Donald Munson, councilman elect. "It's near Hagerstown, it's accessible bus and it's accessible by automobile."
It's located right behind the municipal golf course, it was the old armory building in Hagerstown.
"It already has a gymnasium in it and it has plenty of parking around it. It has amenities that I think would be good for seniors," says Munson.
County officials say the armory is slightly larger than the building that would've been built at Hagerstown Community College except this one is half the price.
It's up to the new mayor and council to decide if they want to be part of the Senior Center Project.
