Featured image: Using a new piece of county equipment, Independence County Judge Kevin Jeffery delivered the ceremonial crushing blow to buildings on the property as the site is prepared for the construction of the new Independence County Senior Citizens Program facility.
Independence County Judge Kevin Jeffery’s office has released details of the new Independence County Senior Citizens Program Center that will be built at 950 Elm St. in Batesville.
The property was donated to the county by the Batesville School District after having been part of the district’s Water Street campus for decades. The building also housed the NADC Head Start Center and Pre-Head Start program in Batesville at one time.
The judge’s office said the site offers some elevation change challenges, but the Independence County Road Department is well-equipped to prepare a site worthy of a modern facility.
“We are excited to establish a modern senior citizens center that is centrally located and will have expanded opportunities,” the office said in a release on Friday.
The improvements forthcoming with the new, updated 8,500-square-foot Senior Citizens Program center include:
- The expansion of wellness activities for the current 1,971 seniors aged 60 and older.
- An increase in services to the community, including meal programs and events.
- The capacity to conduct simultaneous events, Bible classes, exercise programs, media presentations, and dining facilities.
- The ability to offer programs and activities more attractive to active seniors aged 60-70.
After the building was demolished earlier this week, crews from the road department and the Batesville Fire Department performed a controlled burn of the building’s remains. (Click here for more info.)
For more information about the funding for the new building, click here.
Images provided by the Batesville School District and the Independence County Judge’s Office
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