Seniors Concerned About Losing Eastgate Senior Center

A group of seniors doing a Zumba dancing class at Eastgate Senior Center.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A group of senior citizens are raising concerns about potentially losing their community center.

Inside of the Eastgate Town Center, the Eastgate Senior Center has long served as a gathering place for senior citizens in our community.

However, those who frequent that center say that their spot is in danger of closing.

Irene Eubanks, a longtime user of the center said, “We kept telling them that we were outgrowing the center, but how can you make decisions when you’ve never been out here to even experience anything that goes on out here.”

Frustrations were high inside of Eastgate Thursday.

Regular users of the Senior Center say that the city told them that they were not renewing the lease to keep this center open.

They say that the center could be closed as early as the end of July.

Another senior center user, Barbara Kelly, said, “We’re told that there are going to be alternatives, the alternatives are to go to the youth centers.”

Organizers say the city has offered them space within Glenwood and Cromwell Community Centers but they say this is not sufficient. 

Eubanks said, “We’ve outgrown Eastgate Senior Center, we have programs that we would like to implement but don’t have the room to do.”

The City of Chattanooga sent News 12 the following statement:

“The Kelly Administration is committed to providing top-notch services to Chattanooga’s seniors, as evidenced by the expansion and variety of programs and activity options at Eastgate, at community centers in neighborhoods throughout the City, and through our Department of Parks and Outdoors. We are negotiating the contract for the current Senior Center, and the mayor recognizes the importance of having a dedicated facility. There will not be an interruption of senior programming. The City looks forward to continuing the partnership with our resident stakeholders to chart the best path forward together.”

The Senior Center currently provides programming such as exercise classes, festivals, and organized trips that give those who come a sense of community.

An instructor for exercise classes at the center, Zaida Ringheimer, said, “What happens when you get older when you don’t have a place to go, is that you get depressed, you sit at home, and you wait, you wait for death or for someone to pay attention to you.”

It’s not just the lack of action at the Senior Center that frustrates the citizens, but it’s the comparison to what other cities are doing as well.

Organizers say Knoxville has 8 senior centers and Nashville has three.

Meanwhile if Eastgate goes away, there would only be centers in East Brainerd and Hixson in Chattanooga.

The senior citizens wonder if they are being left behind.

Kelly said, “Pay the rent! While you are at least signing a new lease, because I heard they are not signing a new lease, Sign the lease for at least six months while you are deciding what is going to go on.”

They say this fight is for the growing elderly population of Hamilton County.

Ringheimer said, “Think of your grandmother. Think of your mother. Aged. What would you want her to have the ability to do.”

The seniors at the center are passing a petition around the city and hope to collect 10-thousand signatures to present at city council.

They say these petitions will be at various other community centers and other organizations such as churches across the city.