OCEANSIDE: Senior center set for June opening

OCEANSIDE —- Oceanside officials say that after almost 18 months they have good news concerning the El Corazon senior center.

“On time and on budget,” Gary Kellison, the city’s senior civil engineer said this week of the 15,000-square-foot facility, the first project scheduled for completion from the El Corazon master use plan.

“Everything is in place for us to have the grand opening on June 6, which is right in line with our original plans,” Kellison added.

When the city broke ground on the six-acre site, located on Senior Center Drive just west of Rancho Del Oro, for its second senior center in December 2007, it projected a completion date of late May 2009. But soon after, city officials worried that growing financial trouble in the construction industry would hamper meeting that projection.

Kellison said the project stayed right on budget and didn’t exceed allotted cost over-runs and change orders for the $10 million facility.

“There are always a few things that cost a bit more as a project progresses —- that’s normal in any construction project —- but we anticipated that there would be over-runs and budgeted for them accordingly, so in the end there wasn’t a problem with the funding,” he said.

Located on the western edge of the 450-acre El Corazon property, a former sand mine given to the city in 1994, the center will help serve Oceanside’s current senior citizens and its growing baby boomer population in that area of the city.

“Many of our senior citizens in Oceanside have moved, or are moving to housing that is near where this facility was built,” said Margery Pierce, the city’s director of neighborhood services.

Pierce said more than 22 percent of the estimated 180,000 residents of Oceanside are age 55 or older, and the growth of that segment of the population in recent years has put a strain on the city’s only senior center, which is on Country Club Lane near Interstate 5.

“We’ve been busting at the seams over there on Country Club Lane for years, so having a new senior center has been one of the city’s highest priorities,” she said. “Now we’ll finally be able to offer senior citizens in that area a place to go and dance and enjoy all the other activities that we will provide for them.”

The new center, which was designed by Roesling Nakamura Terrada, Inc. of San Diego in the style of renowned architect Irving Gill, is a showcase of how to use natural lighting in an effort to save energy.

The halls of the U-shaped building are lined floor to ceiling with windows that allow sunlight to stream into classrooms, a dance floor and the lobby of the building.

The center will feature a kitchen capable of handling catered meals for parties and the ever-popular dances among senior citizens. Near its lobby, a 900-square-foot fitness room will be outfitted with age-appropriate exercise machines.

Office space has been kept to a minimum to allow more square footage for classrooms and craft areas. At the center of the south wing of the building, a huge meeting room can be split into four separate classrooms by the use of full-length dividers.

From any interior hallway angle, the large windows in the building offer an unobstructed view of a spacious courtyard area suitable for festivals and concerts.

“This is the one area of the center that I think is the most impressive,” said Megan Crooks, a management analyst for the city’s Neighborhood Services Department, as she walked through the courtyard earlier this week.

“It’s the area that we’ll build off of, and that we’ll focus any future construction around,” she said. “This is the area of the center that I think will get the most use because it has a terrific view and there is so much room for activities. Plus, in this courtyard, you’re right up next to the hills and the people who visit here won’t have to go far to enjoy a nature walk.”

Shortly after she spoke, a pair of yearling hawks —- likely from the reserved 150-acre open space area near the center —- flew overhead.

“See, that’s what I mean,” said Crooks. “Watching those hawks proves that this center is in the perfect spot.

“It’s a place where people can come to participate in lots of activities, and it’s a place where they can come to and enjoy nature.”

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