The county's first senior center will open Thursday to provide medical, social and technological services for baby boomers entering their later years.
The $5 million, 17,000-square-foot Senior Recreation Center at Northside Park will include a library, a catered kitchen and computer labs with Internet training.
Alachua County and the City of Gainesville each contributed $1.5 million to pay for the center.
That money came from the Wild Spaces & Public Places funding initiative, which is financed through a half-cent sales tax and began after residents voted to approve the initiative in 2008.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs gave $2 million in the form of a state grant.
The joint city and county center, located at 5701 NW 34th St. and a part of Northside Park, will open after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday.
The center will be operated and managed by ElderCare of Alachua County, a grant- and donation-based agency.
"The Senior Recreation Center at Northside Park represents a significant investment in the human capital of Gainesville and Alachua County senior citizens that we can all take pride in," Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe said in a news release.
Mark Sexton, communications coordinator for Alachua County, said the county did not already have a senior center because previous commissions hadn't chosen to take on the project. He said this center came about because there was a funding source in place.
"This wise investment in our community will yield exponential dividends for years to come," Alachua County Commission Chairmain Lee Pinkoson said in a news release.
According to the 2010 Census, about 11 percent of Alachua County residents are 65 years or older.
Sexton said a center like this will increase the quality of seniors' lives. The center will also have Wi-Fi throughout the building, a reception area with a fireplace, an exercise room and a recreation room with pool tables.
Parts of the building are also fortified to withstand Category 3 hurricanes, so it can operate as an emergency shelter.
In addition, Sexton said the center is environmentally friendly. The building has been built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standards, the third-highest level of certification.
Visitors will not have to walk far because the RTS No. 8 bus route will include a stop at the center's door.
"I think it's just going to be a real jewel in the services crown of Gainesville and Alachua County," Sexton said.
The Senior Recreation Center at Northside Park is Alachua County's first senior center. The center is located at 5701 NW 34th St.
