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Residents urge city to preserve Phil Ross senior center during council hearing of visitors
Summary
Multiple residents told the Waco City Council they value the Phil Ross Center as a senior center and community hub and urged renovation rather than demolition.
Several attendees used the hearing-of-visitors segment of the Feb. 18, 2025 Waco City Council meeting to urge the council to preserve and renovate the Phil Ross Center, a senior center and community gathering place.
Mary Brown told council the center provides social and recreational programming for seniors: "It's not only a senior center, it is a center for people that come there to socialize. It's a bingo center... It has many functions and we certainly are distressed to hear that it could possibly fold." Brown said the center is "smoke free and alcohol free," praised volunteer board members and invited council to visit the facility.
Sharon Bates said she and many others have relied on the center for two decades and asked the council to renovate rather than tear it down: "Seniors don't have a whole lot to do in Waco, Texas, period. And that is one place that everybody enjoys going... I encourage the board to please just renovate it. Don't tear it down." Both speakers emphasized the center's role in social connection and volunteer-run programming.
Council did not take action during the hearing of visitors; staff was asked to follow up on concerns raised by speakers. The comments were recorded during the public comment portion of the meeting rather than during an agenda hearing or ordinance debate.
