Guest tour the waiting area near the front entrance following a ceremony last month to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility at the Victory Park campus in east Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star file photo
A workout room filled with accessible equipment at the new Aging Partners facility. Mayor Gaylor Baird alongside local and national officials commemorated the opening of the Victory Park facility at a news conference Thursday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
The front desk at the entrance of the new facility is pictured during a ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at the new Victory Park senior center in Lincoln. Mayor Gaylor Baird alongside local and national officials commemorated the opening of the new Aging Partners location at a news conference at Thursday.
Hundreds of people crammed into an event space at the east Lincoln Veterans Administration Campus on Thursday afternoon to celebrate, in the words of Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, a monumental day for the community.
Thursday marked the opening of the new Aging Partners location at the Victory Park development at 600 S. 70th St. The move comes after the old Aging Partners location in downtown Lincoln, which also included a senior fitness center, closed permanently in April.
Aging Partners director Randall Jones said their goal is to open the new Aging Partners location to the public on May 3.
According to Gaylor Baird and the other state, local and federal representatives that spoke at Thursday’s event, the new facility was a long time coming.
“It’s a day that so many people have worked toward for the past 13 years,†Gaylor Baird said.
Increased accessibility for seniors is a primary feature of the Victory Park location, which will include expanded parking and a first-floor entrance to the building. The new Aging Partners facility also features a health clinic staffed by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a spacious classroom, an exercise room, access to nutritious meals and a large outdoor space.
The new site will also serve Lincoln’s veteran community. Office space for Lancaster County’s Veterans Service Office is included inside the Aging Partners site, and Gaylor Baird said relocation of the Aging Partners facility is part of the $100 million redevelopment of the Veterans Administration Hospital Grounds.
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“This new and comprehensive site offers our older community members and veterans space and services in one central location to lead their best lives,†Gaylor Baird said.
Providing services for Lancaster County Veterans was a crucial part of the formation of the new Aging Partners facility, according to Lancaster County Commissioner Roma Amundson. The proximity of the center to other veteran services makes the location much more convenient for veterans that Lancaster County is proud to serve, Amundson said.
The community of veterans and seniors in Lancaster County is growing, according to Jones, who has been the director of Aging Partners since 2016. Their previous facility did not match that growth, which is why Thursday was such a special day for Jones.
“It’s always been a vision that makes sense to move Lincoln towards a more age-friendly community, and that’s exactly what this facility does,†Jones said.
Thursday’s event was a culmination of years of hard work for dozens of members in the Lincoln community, and each individual that spoke gave special thanks to at least one community member who helped make the new Aging Partners location a reality.
“We heard how hard this was, we heard how challenging this was,†Gaylor Baird said. “We do hard things in Lincoln and Lancaster County, and it’s because of the people in this room.â€
The Victory Park Senior Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, with lunch served at 11:30 a.m. The Schmieding Center for Active Living will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Aging Partners offices will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Photos: Take a look inside Lincoln's new senior center location
Guest tour the waiting area near the front entrance following a ceremony last month to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility at the Victory Park campus in east Lincoln.
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird listens as speakers give remarks during a press conference to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility on Thursday at the Victory Park campus in Lincoln.
A workout room filled with accessible equipment at the new Aging Partners facility. Mayor Gaylor Baird alongside local and national officials commemorated the opening of the Victory Park facility at a news conference Thursday.
Guests walk up to the front entrance before a celebration and tour of the new Aging Partners facility, which is located on the Victory Park development at 600 S. 70th Street.
Aging Partners Director Randall Jones speaks during a press conference to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility, which is located on the Victory Park development at 600 S. 70th Street.
The front desk at the entrance of the new facility is pictured during a ceremony to commemorate the opening of the new Aging Partners facility on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at the new Victory Park senior center in Lincoln. Mayor Gaylor Baird alongside local and national officials commemorated the opening of the new Aging Partners location at a news conference at Thursday.