Washington council’s decision to relocate senior center to Knights of Columbus draws protests from patrons

The City of Washington moved forward with a plan to relocate its senior center from the Elks Lodge to the Knights of Columbus under a five‑year lease after staff and the center operator, Aging Ahead, evaluated the alternative facility.

At a council meeting in April 2025, multiple residents and regular senior‑center attendees urged the council to reverse the decision or delay the move, saying the Knights’ lower level is smaller and harder to reach for patrons who rely on walkers, wheelchairs or limited mobility. Commenters also raised parking and service‑area concerns and said the Elks has served the community for decades.

Why it matters: The senior center provides daily meals and programming for older residents; changes to location, hours or service boundaries affect day‑to‑day access for hundreds of patrons. Several speakers said the move will reduce convenience and could force some patrons to stop attending if transportation or parking are not addressed.

Council and staff response City staff said the nonprofit Aging Ahead — which operates the senior…