City seeks feedback on future senior/rec center

The city of Birmingham is asking the public for its feedback regarding a future senior center/community recreation center, which will be located at 400 E. Lincoln Road, in the former YMCA building.

The new recreational facility will become the new home of Next, and provide recreational opportunities for all ages. Next is a 501(c)(3) organization that has provided the city and other community-based partners with senior services for more than 45 years. The community is invited to share ideas for the new recreational facility with a variety of public engagement opportunities, including an online or print survey and an in-person open house event.

One way to share community input is via the Senior/Recreation Center Community Survey, which may be completed online on Engage Birmingham at engage.bhamgov.org/senior-rec-center by Friday, April 26. Respondents can also complete the survey in print form at bhamgov.org/sccsurvey and mail it back to the city or drop it off at City Hall, the Baldwin Public Library, The Birmingham Museum or Next. Print copies of the survey are available at each of these locations.

In addition, the community is invited to attend a community open house at 400 E. Lincoln on Monday, April 29, from 6-8 p.m. Attendees will tour the facility, view interactive displays and hear from subject matter experts regarding plans for Birmingham’s future senior/recreation center.

“This project is aligned with our strategic goals and we are pleased to move forward with a facility that will benefit Birmingham and surrounding areas for many years to come,” said Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker. “We hope the community will take advantage of public engagement opportunities and share their ideas and vision regarding what should be included at this new facility.”

The former YMCA building was purchased by the city of Birmingham last July, with the vision of turning it into a senior center/recreation center for collaborative use. The YMCA had planned to sell the building, which created a unique opportunity for the city, its surrounding communities and for Next, which had been seeking a permanent home for several years.

Residents approved a .33 mill levy in November 2023 to permit interim improvements to the building and to establish a sinking fund to contribute towards the cost of permanent improvements.

In an effort to engage the public as much as possible in the planning process, Birmingham hired a private architectural firm, NORR, to perform a building assessment and conceptual design for the location. The city has also formed an Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee to assist with the project.

Learn more about NORR, the Ad Hoc Senior/Recreation Center Committee and the new facility at bhamgov.org/scc.