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 center under contract with the city — inspected both facilities and deemed the Knights acceptable after recent renovations, including new lighting and restroom work. Staff also said the scheduled move week begins May 5, with services at the Elks ending May 1; Aging Ahead will set the timetable for when programs resume at the Knights.

City staff said the city will transport and store some equipment (tables, chairs, kitchen steamers, ice machine, picnic items) and that Aging Ahead will move its own program materials. Staff reported renovation work at the Knights included installing ADA‑compliant transitions and accessible doors to improve entry from the sidewalk.

Residents said those improvements do not solve parking and access problems. One resident who attends the center estimated as many as 75–100 people use the Elks on busier days and worried there are only about 30 parking spots immediately adjacent to the Knights’ upper lot. Council members responded that overflow parking and shared lots are typically used during community events and that the high school parking and lower lot could be managed to accommodate patrons.

Financial and contractual context Council members said the move followed a procurement decision in which the Knights’ proposed lease terms were more favorable to the city than the Elks’ proposal. Staff said the city had paid utilities and some maintenance at the Elks; under the new arrangement the Knights will assume utilities and the lease terms will cover a five‑year period while the city pursues a longer‑term plan for a city‑owned senior facility.

Several speakers claimed the Knights had received grant funding for ADA upgrades or that the city was paying for the Knights’ renovations. Council members and staff said the Knights are financing their renovations (including using loans or grants the Knights secured) and that the city is entering a lease that will span five years; staff said the city is not directly funding the Knights’ renovations.

Process and next steps Council members and the mayor asked residents to give the move a chance and agreed to collect feedback after the relocation. Staff said the city would revisit the arrangement if Aging Ahead and patrons reported that the facility did not meet needs, and staff encouraged residents to participate in planning for a future city‑owned senior center that is being considered in the city’s park master plan and capital improvement discussions.

Public reaction Several speakers asked the council to reconsider the lease or to have a temporary extension with the Elks until a permanent, city‑owned facility is built; others urged participation on future planning committees. Residents repeatedly requested clearer information from Aging Ahead about service boundaries and meal delivery to locations outside city limits; staff said Aging Ahead had participated in the facility review and had approved the move as workable for operations.

Ending Council members acknowledged the decision was divisive and apologized for the inconvenience to seniors. Staff and the mayor said they would accept patron feedback and report back to the council after the move and after several months of operations at the Knights.