Future of Naples Senior Center unveiled

The future of the Naples Senior Center was unveiled during a celebration on Thursday after the public got to see the plans and land for the center.

The new center will include a special wing that will help seniors with dementia, a wing that will be the first of its kind, and critical, for Southwest Florida.

The groundbreaking will likely be in November and construction is planned to be completed in October of 2022.

“I almost have tears in my eyes whenever I come to the property,” said Jaclynn Faffer, CEO of the Naples Senior Center.

Jay Baker, a board member of the Naples Senior Center, said seniors in Naples have been under cared for.

“Now we will have this incredible place for them,” Baker said.

The Naples Senior Center will be located along Oakes Boulevard. With 60% of the community being seniors, the old senior center building just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

“This is going to be phenomenal for the community,” Baker said.

The new building will be two stories measuring 30,000 square feet.

“This is going to give us ample space to do all of the wellness and creative programs that we are doing in our cramped 12,000 square foot space now,” Faffer said.

The new space will also have plenty of room for their one-of-a-kind dementia initiative as well.

“Right now, we have two rooms, and we are in churches for four of the programs off-site, and while it’s terrific, it doesn’t allow the caregivers to make use of the senior center programs when they drop their loved ones off,” Faffer said.

The new building will be constructed on 13.7 acres of land.

“There is such a need, and this senior center will be filled, no question because it is an oasis,” said Collier County Commissioner Penny Taylor. “It is such an important part of people’s lives.”