GULFPORT, Fla. — An expanded Gulfport Senior Center may soon become a reality.
What You Need To Know
The Gulfport Senior Center was built in 1983
The center sees three times the amount of traffic in 2026 compared to 2013
Preliminary designs will be shown at the March 3 city council meeting
Preliminary concepts for an expansion will be unveiled at the council chambers on March 3.
City leaders have been talking about the project since 2014, but there have been multiple delays.
Senior Center Supervisor Rachel Cataldo started working at the center in 2013. She said they serve at least three times more people compared to when she started.
“At that time, we were seeing about 200 people a day,” she said. “Now we’re seeing 600 to 800 a day.”
There have been challenges that have arisen because of that growth.
Cataldo said there are programs they can’t offer at the center because there’s no room.
“I would say about ten programs that we cannot accommodate here at this space,” she said. “Taichi class that has 80 people in it, we would not be able to support that here at the center.”
For 65-year-old Karen Peterson, the senior center is like a second home. She’s been coming for seven years and plays in the center’s harmonica club band.
Peterson sees the potential expansion as a chance to make the center even better.
She even has a few things on her wish list.
“Probably expand the rooms for activities, or the weights, or the multi-purpose room,” she said. “I’d love to see Gulfport have a municipal pool.”
Cataldo said the council has committed to covering 50% of the cost. However, the total cost is not yet known.
She said that it would likely be announced at that meeting.