BRIGHTON —The Eagle View Adult Center is packed every day — not crowded, not at capacity, but packed with residents who spend their days in expanded fitness classes, huge crafts clubs and comfortably seated at dozens of round tables in a spacious community room where they enjoy morning coffee and idle chit-chat.
“We have about three times the amount of space here than we had at the old building,” said Sue Corbett, director of the center. “Having a larger facility has helped us enhance our programming. Our biggest growth area is classes. We have lots more classes than we had before, along with a whole host of new ones. We can accommodate more in the classes due to the size.”
Brighton has had a senior center since 1977, but before the city built the 15,000-square-foot facility at 1150 Prairie Center Parkway in 2012, Brighton’s seniors used a .
“It had a lot of character,” said Hannah Reynolds, 101. Reynolds has lived in Brighton since 1967 and has been a familiar face at the senior center for decades. She said that although she hasn’t spent too much time in the larger space, the overall newness of the expanded center has been a breath of fresh air.
“I live up in the north end, and I still drive myself to the center, so it’s a little further to get here,” Reynolds said. “I haven’t been here to this new one as often, but I like being in here. It’s easier to get in and get around.”
The increased size has created a domino effect in the nearly four years that it’s been open. Corbett said approximately 200 seniors come to the center every day, whereas about half as many were able to fit into the old space.
“We’re able to offer so much more here,” Corbett said. “We never had fit ball before, and we’ve increased from one yoga class to five, for example. Our class sizes for things like crocheting have increased … and we have a platform stage now that helps with entertainment, so that people can see what is going on.”
She said eventually she would like to increase the hours of the center from its current 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but that will take more money.
The new center took 10 years to plan and fund. It’s being paid for over 18 years with a half-percent of the city’s sales taxes. There are two additional phases of expansion that would require more than $9 million.
The second phase of the project is planned to include a gymnasium, a weight room and an indoor track, and the third phase will have a pool, a hot tub and areas for water exercise.
“As the city continues to grow, Brighton will look for ways to complete the other two phases of the center expansion,” Corbett said. “There is not a definite timeline for that.”
In Brighton, the senior population is growing a lot faster than many other places in the metro area.
In 2010, about 8.7 percent of people living in Brighton were over the age of 60. In 2013, the city recorded that there were more than 4,000 seniors living in Brighton, which accounted for 12 percent of Brighton’s total population.
“The population of older adults is anticipated to increase by over 100 percent between 2010 and 2025,” Corbett said, “and adults age 60 to 64 will increase by about 57 percent from 2010 to 2025.”
The senior center sent out a customer satisfaction survey last year to which more than 400 people responded. According to the results, 95 percent of visitors rated the center as being “great” or “good.”
“I come here because of the people,” said Brighton resident Mary Hortenbach, 78. “It’s good company to me, I have a great time and it keeps me busy.”
Megan Mitchell: 303-954-2650, mmitchell@denverpost.com or @Mmitchelldp
