Seattle senior centers work to keep property, programs

SEATTLE — The City of Seattle owns the deed to the Central Area Senior Center and advocates for the center fear the city might want to sell to developers.

So, they've asked Mayor Jenny Durkan to transfer the property to the nonprofit organization that runs the center.

"We need to honor the history and the legacy of all the people who made this happen and we don't need to take away their public spaces, especially because we think this is an opportunity for a developer to come in and build multimillion-dollar homes with a great view," said Central Area Senior Center Director Dian Ferguson.

Supporters are trying to raise $55,000 by Sunday. So that next week they can prove to the city that they have the money to maintain the property - something the city is required to make sure of before transferring the deed.

"With the way that things are coming down, they're just trying to take us out and there is no need for that," said regular senior center visitor Kelsi Watson.

Across town at the Ballard Northwest Senior Center--- there's a different challenge. The center is getting $90,000 from the $354 million King County Veterans, Seniors and Housing levy. But it was not one of the centers to win a competition for stable fiver-year funding-- so the money runs out at the end of next year.

"A lot of my folks are very frustrated," said Ballard-NW Senior Center Director Carlye Teel. They voted for this (levy) and now their senior center is not going to be funded for the full time of the levy. And they don't think that's very fair."

A statement from Durkan's office says that she supports having this and the other senior centers continue to provide key services to their communities.
But the statement also notes that the mayor has ordered that all the real estate the City of Seattle owns be evaluated for possible use for affordable housing.

The Central Area Senior Center has raised about $30,000 of it's $55,000 goal. It can be reached via its home page.

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