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Jersey City senior residents joined Mayor Steven Fulop and City Council members to cut the ribbon on the city’s first new senior community center in 40 years. The new center is located on Central Avenue in the Highlands. Joseph Connors Senior Center is a modern facility designed to meet the evolving needs of Jersey City’s older residents, providing them with a safe space to stay active, socialize and grow.
The new senior lunch stop will also serve as a one-stop center for Health and Human Services, with staff on site from the city’s Offices of Immigration Affairs, Senior Affairs and Veterans Affairs.
“We wanted to create an inviting and vibrant place to offer more senior programs and expand services into one location. Our opening here today is exactly that and more,” Fulop said. “With this building, we now have a one-stop human services center that provides specialized services for seniors in a friendly, welcoming environment.”
In line with the Fulop Administration’s initiatives to promote healthy eating and healthy living, a food pantry and vertical farm on the first floor will provide free nutritious food to those in need. In addition, a commercial kitchen has been built across from the new center’s large dining room to provide daily lunches for seniors. The former Parking Authority building has been transformed into an open, accessible layout that also includes a newly renovated multi-purpose room and game room.
“We have space for the Center of Hope to deliver excess food to the food pantry. We decided that moving the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Immigration Affairs to this building was the best choice. We will also be moving our Aging Affairs headquarters here, creating a one-stop shop for seniors to easily access the important services and resources they rely on so often,” said Stacey Flanagan, director of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We can provide many direct services to seniors at this new location. We will be working with the Jersey City Free Public Library to offer new classes, organize events, exercise classes, and even computer literacy training in the new computer lab. In many ways, this will be a great place for seniors,” said Joan Eccleston, director of the Department of Aging.
“The project started with the mayor’s vision that he had to provide better facilities for the elderly. We were asked to build a usable space designed to suit everyone’s needs and abilities. We also managed to retain most of the tin ceilings and wall tiles, which are architectural elements of the original building dating back to 1880,” said Barkha Patel, director of the infrastructure department.
“This is a big day for District D. I consider this the Ritz-Carlton of senior centers. It is a beautiful place and this is what our seniors deserve. Thank you so much to Mayor Fulop for making this happen,” added District D Councilman Youssef Saleh.
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