Fayette

advocates for senior citizens are moving quickly

on plans for a new senior center now that land

has been made available next to the planned new

county jail and courthouse.

Architects

have developed a rendering to show how they

expect the facility to look, and a design

committee is meeting frequently in efforts to

come up with a design that will be compatible

with plans for the county complex, said Andy

Carden, director of Fayette Senior Services Inc.

Plans

are for a building of about 13,000 square feet

that can serve both active and less active

seniors.

"I'm

very pleased with progress so far," Carden

told The Citizen.

Consulting

firm Mallett and Associates, the firm that is

overseeing the county complex construction, will

handle engineering of the senior center, Carden

said, ensuring that architectural styles won't

clash.

Working

with architects Fynn and Fingerup, the design

committee is almost ready with a plan for the

building, Carden added. "We started with

discussions of need, and worked from the need

out," he said.

Funding

is the next big hurdle. The facility is expected

to cost "at least $2.5 million," said

Carden, and volunteers are gearing up to look for

funding everywhere possible. "The funding

effort is beginning to materialize," said

Carden.

Fayette's

government over the years has earmarked some

money for the project, and FSS has a little money

of its own, he said. FSS officials hope to secure

community development block grants for at least

part of the cost, and volunteers will be seeking

private and corporate donations and grants for

the rest.

"When

all is said and done, I'd like to say I've got

enough money," he said.

Plans

to start the fund-raising were delayed early last

year when the County Commission reversed an

earlier commission's promise to provide land for

the senior center on Lee Street next to the

current center.

Commissioners

decided to delay a decision on where to place the

senior center until they had time to master-plan

the 65-acre site with room for the new jail,

courthouse, senior center and a future county

administration building.

Without

a definite site for the building, it's

improssible to draw up plans and make proposals

for grants, Carden said.

Now,

with the master plan in place, FSS has been given

space at the entrance to the complex, on Jimmie

Mayfield Boulevard.

FSS

members have been working toward a new center for

years, said Carden. The current senior center, at

390 Lee St. , is too small for the services FSS

offers, he said.

FSS moved into the

3,300-sq. ft. house soon after it organized about

20 years ago, and members of the group have been

working toward the hope of a permanent facility

ever since then, Carden said.

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