Glendale Heights opens $3 million senior center

Glendale Heights Village President Linda Jackson laughed when York Township officials called her slick, new senior center the "Taj Mahal of area senior centers." That doesn't mean, however, that she isn't proud of the new building, which has been about 15 years in the making.

Area seniors and residents got their first look at the $3 million Glendale Heights Center for Senior Citizens at an open house Sunday. With more than 500 people passing through the door, Jackson said the building could not have opened to a better crowd.

"We want our seniors to stay in Glendale Heights and we want them to have a place that is theirs," she said. "This is the way to do it."

Jackson said the idea for a senior center first popped up in the mid-1990s, when officials wanted to provide a place for seniors to go. However, financial and space restraints put a stop to the planning.

When federal stimulus funds made it possible to borrow money at more affordable rates, the village jumped at the chance and began designing the center at 260 Civic Center Plaza.

Until now, most senior activities were held in a second-floor room of the neighboring Sports Hub.

"We have been frugal with our money for a lot of years," Jackson said. "This is a chance to fix things and provide what we didn't have before." The project is part of an ambitious $24.5 million project on the plaza, which will include work on all major buildings and the construction of a new police department.

The senior center contains a recreation room, arts and crafts room, a senior citizen-friendly fitness center, and a hair and nail salon. Two outdoor seating areas are set on the 10,000-square-foot building's east and west side.

A dining room that will offer catered lunches three times a week is on the east end of the building.

Based on early reviews, the senior center is a hit.

"There are not may places that take care of their seniors like this village," said Jane Trimarco, 71. "They have done very well by us."

Along with a village-run senior citizen shuttle bus, the senior center is another way Glendale Heights serves its older residents, said Toni Crokin, 83.

"A lot of places do not have nothing for seniors," said Crokin, who has lived in Glendale Heights for 47 years and said she'll definitely use the facility. "It's beautiful and it's really great for the seniors."