Bend Senior Center to close for summer of construction

The $23.3 million renovation of the Bend Senior Center into the Larkspur Community Center is getting under way this summer, but will mean a 14-week closure of the facility and temporary shift of some programs and services to Marshall High School, the Bend Park and Recreation District said Friday.

In an issue summary for next Tuesday’s park board meeting, district staff said the senior center will be closed from Memorial Day to Labor Day, saving about $250,000 in construction costs and allowing the most disruptive work to happen without impacting patrons.

“Even without the summer-long closure, the facility would have been required to close for several weeks,” Recreation SErvices Manager Sue Glenn and Senior Center Program Coordinator Brenda Chilcott said.

Park district staff researched options to relocate some Senior Center programs and services, to keep about 80 percent going. Bend-La Pine Schools offered the use of Marshall High School, which the park district will pay $10,000.

The staff noted there will be a two-week gap between the Senior Center closure and the end of the school year and a one-week gap at the end of summer, but “the arrangement will allow the majority of the programs to continue.”

The Pavilion and Riverbend community rooms also will help fill in the gaps.

Later in Tuesday’s meeting the park board will be asked to approve a “guaranteed maximum price” of $17.9 million for the construction contract and a $900,000 contingency for a total not to exceed $1.8 million.

The park district’s current capital improvement plan allocates $21.4 million for the project, mostly from property taxes but also $1.5 million in system development charges. A proposed 2020-24 plan allocates $23.3 million for the work.

About $4.5 million in the budget covers architectural fees, permitting, furnishings, fixtures and equipment.

For more on the project: https://www.bendparksandrec.org/project/larkspur-community-center/