In 2022 we embarked on an in-depth public process to complete a feasibility study to identify whether there was community support to create a dedicated Senior Center in the District. The feasibility study was completed in tandem with an aquatics center feasibility study.
A consultant was hired to do this work. Extensive community outreach was done, allowing residents and stakeholders, including a project Steering Committee composed of a diverse group of project stakeholders, to share their priorities and vision for a central gathering place for seniors.
The final study was presented to the Steering Committee in March 2024 and accepted by the Board of Park Commissioners in April 2024.
Completion of the study is a necessary first step in the larger process of planning for future public facilities. The study assessed community demand, interest, explored potential design options and presented cost estimates based on the preferred design.
The options identified and outlined in the study are not a guarantee of what will be built. Instead, they serve as a starting point for further conversation, review and analysis.
- Read the final Senior Space Feasibility Study here.
- Read the Appendix here (note: the appendix also includes the aquatics center feasibility data).
What did the feasibility study find?
The intent of the study was to determine the feasibility of building a dedicated space for seniors. This included evaluation of three sites and ultimately a recommendation for which site to develop and associated costs around development and operations.
Key findings:
- Based on a market study that included a demographic analysis, the Gig Harbor peninsula would support a senior center.
- The total program area is approximately 6,900 square feet, which includes a flexible classroom/meeting space and dining/multi-purpose rooms, a healing room, administrative offices and other support spaces.
- Of the sites studied, the preferred location is adjacent to the PenMet Parks Recreation Center. Co-locating a senior center on the Rec Center campus creates opportunities to share amenities and support spaces that are already built.
- The total construction cost is $8.8 million (2025 dollars) with an annual operating cost of $500,000/year.
The study also looked at industry trends and what other public agencies are doing to serve aging populations.
Trends identified in the study included:
- Many parks and recreation agencies are struggling to address the full senior age category. Seniors that are older (70+) are interested in going to a senior center and participating in traditional activities. Younger seniors (60-75) are a more difficult market to attract with one of the major obstacles being the concept that they don’t consider themselves seniors, nor do they have interest in going to a traditional senior center.
- Parks and recreation departments are taking a focused approach to re-branding their senior facilities and programs, to purposely not use the moniker of “senior.” The primary reason cited is that including “senior” in a description will exclude the younger end of the age spectrum.
- Departments are moving away from dedicated buildings and moving towards integrating senior services into a community center or full-service recreation center. In these situations, there is a dedicated area (1,000-2,000 square feet) for this type of programming. But at the same time the full spectrum of their programming takes place throughout the facility.
- The success of programming to this population is often dependent on how often they are engaged in a meaningful way. To address this, departments are using advisory committees made up of community members that are in the 60+ age category.
Trends Conclusion: It will be important to continue to engage this population to ensure the facility design and associated programs are consistent with needs and wants.
The study recommended the PenMet Parks Recreation Center campus as the best site for a future senior center. It was also recommended to incorporate the design and construction of a future senior center facility into the design and construction of a future aquatics facility to save money and create synergy between the amenities on the Recreation Center campus.
Seniors at the PenMet Parks Recreation Center
Since opening the PenMet Parks Recreation Center in the summer of 2025, PenMet Parks is serving more people than ever before. That includes among our adult population.
Estimates from June to early 2026 show that 300 to 400 “seniors” visit the Recreation Center weekly. Activities they are engaged in include:
- Pickleball
- Group Fitness programming
- Art classes
- Senior Line Dancing
- Tai Chi
- Walking the free indoor track
Additionally, seniors continue to visit the PenMet Parks District Headquarters weekly and monthly for Mah Jongg and BINGO and attend programs at other PenMet Parks facilities like Rosedale Hall and Arletta School House.
What’s next?
Next steps identified in the study include:
- Evaluate capital and operational funding strategies. (Funding is not currently identified.)
- Evaluate potential partnerships and alternative service providers.
- Before proceeding with design, engage technical experts to further study site-specific conditions as part of future phases.
- Continue to invest in developing senior programming to meet community need within available resources.
There are no immediate plans to develop a senior center on the Recreation Center Campus. Before a center can be built, more work is needed. This includes identifying whether a center would be constructed as part of a larger facility for aquatic programming, which is identified on our 20-year capital improvement plan.
Before anything is done, additional studies are required, including one that identifies a funding source to not only build a facility, but also a sustainable funding plan to maintain the facility for community use for years to come.
In the meantime, we will continue to expand our senior program offerings, work with our PenMet Parks Senior Advocates committee which identifies senior program opportunities to engage the community and continue to parter with external groups to offer programming opportunities for our senior users.
For More Information:
For questions or inquiries, please contact: [email protected].