New senior center set for July 10 grand opening

Huntington Beach seniors will have a new place to exercise, learn computer skills and mingle when a senior center opens in early July.

The 38,000-square-foot center, located at Central Park, will be nearly three times the size of the former Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center and senior outreach center combined.

“This is a center that seniors can be very proud of,” said Randy L. Pesqueira, executive director of senior services. “It really tells how the city feels about its senior population. Huntington Beach has always had good senior programs but the building wasn’t in a great condition.”

Pesqueira said between 150 and 200 seniors used the old Rodgers Seniors’ Center, and he expects attendance to double at the new center in the park.

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Residents and city officials have been trying to open a new senior center for about a decade, but when the recession hit in 2007 and 2008, much of the funding was lost.

In 2013, city officials began exploring the idea once again, saw three potential sites and chose to develop at 18041 Goldenwest Street.

The city ran into a long-standing hurdle when it was involved in a dispute with the Parks Legal Defense Fund, a residents group that sued the city in 2008, arguing that the project’s environmental impact report was insufficient.

City Atty. Michael Gates said that lawsuit was settled earlier this year in the city’s favor.

The new center, which will celebrate its grand opening July 10, will feature amenities such as a full-fledged fitness center, dance lessons, a large event room, transportation center with free shuttles and buses and computer classrooms.

Classes and the fitness center are available for extra fees and only open to people 50 and over.

Council member Dave Sullivan said in the past that Rodgers Seniors’ Center, at Orange Avenue and 17th Street, was the worst senior building in Orange County, though he said it arguably has the best services, which include fitness and wellness classes and free transportation.

Mayor Jim Katapodis said a new center was needed in the city.

“We’ve said it all the time that the senior population in the city is hugely increasing,” he said. “By having this, we’ll have a lot more people being able to partake in different classes, work out here and learn different computer skills. It gives some place for seniors to go. Our old senior center was hurting. To have a senior center that’s equal or better than other cities is really great for our senior population.”

The fate of the old senior center is to-be-determined, with ideas of being used for park space, as a veterans’ hall or as an area for development.

During a recent preview tour of the new building, city officials expressed particular excitement for the new fitness center.

The room features about $250,000 worth of state-of-the-art workout equipment, including treadmills and weight benches.

“This is hands down what we’re getting the most inquiries about,” said Scott Getman, wellness coordinator for the senior center. “Everyone saw our brochure, and we get calls daily. My biggest fear is that we won’t even be able to service that many people.”

Fitness center users can also work with personal trainers for additional fees.

Hoag Hospital will also provide free medical screenings for blood pressure, hearing, oxygen, glaucoma and cataract.

Katapodis said he was excited for the overall location of the new senior center in general.

“It’s great because seniors can take a walk in the park,” he said. “They can go to the lake. They have access to walking trails. It’s just a great way to get people out.”

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Brittany Woolsey, brittany.woolsey@latimes.com

Twitter: @BrittanyWoolsey