The Park City Senior Center has been busy with business, services, and Park City senior citizens' activities since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no resolution has been reached to move to a new location to make way for an affordable housing project.
The Park City Senior Center is located at 1361 Woodside Ave. in Old Town. The center was set to move last year to a new location across the street from the Park City Library offered up by Park City. The building they occupy is an old train depot, and the site was provided to the organization under a 99-year lease about four decades ago.
The current location is slated to contain the Phase Two Woodside Park project, a city-owned affordable housing development. Early last year, a group of members organized a Save Our Senior Center Committee. Their mission was to remain in the current location until a viable alternative is found. City proposals to move to a location adjacent to the City Park have been rejected by the members.
Cheryl Soshnick belongs to the center and has been a spokesperson for the organization.
"We don't know what the situation is because we, the seniors, have not actually spoken or communicated with the city since last fall for actually in virtual and in-person meetings,” she said. “Then, in the fall, was our last in-person meeting with them. After that, the lawyers on both sides have actually exchanged a couple of emails, but that hasn't even happened since like November. And so, we've heard nothing. We, the seniors, have heard nothing from the city."
Soshnick said even with the uncertainty of a future location and closing the center to in-person activities since March 2020. They continue to offer programs, services, and assistance to members.
"We have been moving on. We have been progressing, and we have been doing things for the seniors of Park City even though the center itself is closed because of COVID."
She said the county lunch program continues, although it is a pick-up service provided twice a week for $3 for anyone in Summit County 60 and over. They also offer Zoom bingo to the county centers once a week.
Soshnick said the center established a 501C-3 title and had success raising funds during Live PC Give PC. Those funds have been used to offer virtual art classes through the Kimball Art Center.
"We made some arrangement s with White Pine Touring this winter to provide discount tickets to seniors who are between the ages of 60 and 75 years old," she said.
Skiers who are 75 or older ski for free at the Touring Center.
They have offered training for zoom calls so members can safely interact with friends and family during the COVID restrictions. They are looking for donations of laptops or pads to provide machines for those seniors who don't have computers.
Soshnick said they would open the center when the Health Department gives the okay. They have also helped seniors register on the vaccine sign-up platform and help veterans get down to the Veterans Affairs office in Salt Lake City for vaccination.
If you are 60 or older, you can join the center for $5 a year. To learn more or to contact the center, visit the Park City Utah Seniors Facebook page.
