Lewes Senior Center expansion taking shape

Progress on the new Lewes Senior Activity Center in Nassau is cruising along. Completion is expected by mid-July. 

The expansion will add a lounge, large fitness rooms and more space to allow a wider selection of programs for the growing membership. Officials project membership to grow to 1,800 by 2020 and 3,500 by 2025.

The Lewes Senior Center was founded in 1967. Early meetings were held in Lewes Presbyterian Church before the center found its own building on McFee Street in Lewes. In 1989, the center relocated to an old Cape Henlopen School District building in Nassau, where it is has remained until today. 

The building hasn’t changed too much in the last 30 years, except for a large multipurpose room that was added for classes and activities. 

The project is expected to cost about $1.7 million. Fundraising is ongoing, and Senior Center Director Dennis Nealen said he hopes to have all the funds raised by July. 

The board says the larger facility will make the Lewes Senior Activity Center the premier place for the area’s senior community; with more space, the center will expand its services. 

The objective is to provide a centrally located senior activity center where members can access programs to keep them healthy and independent through social and physical activities. 

DelDOT’s plan to add a two-way road under the Nassau bridge along with the recent expansion of the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail will make the senior center more accessible than it’s ever been.