City of Fremont Opens Age Well Center at South Fremont to Further Citywide Age-Well Initiative
FREMONT, Calif. - September 8, 2021 — Continuing the City of Fremont’s commitment to creating an inclusive community for residents of all ages, the City of Fremont today held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new Age Well Center at South Fremont (opening to the public on September 15). The Age Well Center at South Fremont is the City’s second building dedicated to services for adults 55+ and seeks to create a place to build community, connection, enrichment, and wellness.
The Center will host a variety of classes and activities such as art, yoga, and technology classes; organize informational events on finances, legal assistance, and caregiving; provide health screenings, counseling, and support to access services; and provide access to many social and cultural opportunities, including community dances and networking events. Meals will be prepared onsite by a culinary-trained chef and served four days a week starting October 4.
The building and surrounding lot feature an airy modern lobby, large dining/ multipurpose room with a full-service kitchen, an outdoor covered dining/patio and lounge area, bocce ball court, and raised gardening beds for growing fresh vegetables and herbs. The City’s Human Services Department will oversee the programming and day-to-day operations of the new Center.
“As a City, we have worked diligently to ensure that our policies, priorities, and resources are working together to establish an age-friendly environment in Fremont where residents can retire comfortably and stay connected to their community,” Mayor Lily Mei said. “The Age Well Center at South Fremont is a wonderful example of an environment that fosters a sense of inclusion, lifelong learning, and overall wellness for residents aged 55 and older. That’s why Fremont and I are proud to be nationally recognized as one of the top award-winning AARP Age-Friendly Cities.”
As a part of Fremont’s efforts to be a World Health Organization (WHO)/AARP-recognized Age-Friendly City, the Fremont City Council approved a development agreement in 2016 to create the Age Well Center at South Fremont as well as an age-restricted community containing up to 497 units for seniors on a 23.5-acre site, located on Mission Falls Court in South Fremont.
In June 2019, construction of the Age Well Center at South Fremont began at a ground-breaking ceremony hosted by the City and the developer, The Mission Peak Company, that constructed the project and delivered it to the City in accordance with a development agreement executed by the parties in 2016. The total construction cost is approximately $15.2 million.
As an Age-Friendly City, Fremont completed a five-year action plan spanning 2020 to 2025 that outlined efforts in key areas, including health and wellness, outdoor spaces and buildings (including the Age Well Center at South Fremont), transportation, social participation and inclusion, volunteering and civic engagement, employment and learning opportunities, housing, and more. The City anticipates this new space will get much use from adults 55+ living in the South Fremont area. For reference, from 2019 to 2020, the Age Well Center at Lake Elizabeth (Fremont’s first building dedicated to older adults that was formerly called the Fremont Senior Center) welcomed 1,351 members who received more than 19,000 meals and attended more than 17,000 hours’ worth of classes and activities.
Photos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as of the new Age Well Center at South Fremont will be available at https://fremont.gov/agewellcenters. With continuing COVID-19 protocols, the center will be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Some classes will be offered remotely. Residents interested in leading a class or activity as well as prospective volunteers are encouraged to call the Center at 510-742-7540 or email agewellcenters@fremont.gov.
###
CONTACT :
Geneva Bosques
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
City of Fremont
510-284-4094
gbosques@fremont.gov
|
