CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – The official opening of Clearlake Oaks' new senior center will be celebrated on Friday afternoon.
The Lake County Board of Supervisors invites the public to the dedication and ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new Live Oak Senior Center at 3 p.m.
The center is located at 12502 Foothill Blvd. in Clearlake Oaks.
Light refreshments will be served after a brief dedication ceremony.
“When a community works together toward a common goal, miracles can happen,” said District 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing, referring to the completion of the new center.
The newly built senior center replaces a 70-year old building that had previously served as the Moose Lodge and a social club before becoming the Live Oak Senior Center in 1984.
The new building is 1,600 square feet larger, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and has a bigger kitchen.
Pat Grabham, longtime executive director of the center, is excited because the new building also has level floors, something the old building did not have.
In 2007, the county recognized the need to improve the existing center and directed staff to start developing the project.
When it became apparent with the building limitations that repairs were not economically feasible, Thomson & Hendricks, an architect firm out of Chico, was hired to design a new facility.
“In these lean times, it took years of fundraising and saving to open the doors to this new center,” said Rushing. “The community of Clearlake Oaks made it happen with their determination and can-do approach.”
Eric Seely, deputy county administrative officer, special projects, has been with this project since day one.
He praised the support of the Lake County Board of Supervisors. “They should be credited for their long-term vision of setting aside funds for the last several years.”
Ground was broken for the new center in September 2013 on a vacant lot next door to the original Live Oak Center.
Once the new building was completed, the seniors moved in.
Demolition of the old building began in May and an ADA-compliant parking lot was built in its stead.