The South County Senior Center, serving the communities of Deerfield, Sunderland, and Whately in Massachusetts, is seeking a new facility to address several critical needs highlighted in recent assessments and studies.

1. Loss of Permanent Facility

The center’s original location, the historic 1888 Building in Deerfield, was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic due to contaminants found in the building. This building is now slated for conversion into Deerfield’s Town Hall, leaving the senior center without a permanent home. Since then, the center has operated from various temporary locations, including a tent, a church hall, and its current rented space at 22 Amherst Road in Sunderland. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

2. Inadequate Current Space

The current facility is approximately 1,800 square feet, which is insufficient to accommodate the center’s growing membership and program offerings. Membership has surged from 262 active members between 2019 and 2021 to over 670 active members currently, including participants from outside the three towns. This growth necessitates onc centrally located space for activities, services, and gatherings, instead of the 6 multiple locations we currently utilize.

3. Need for Expanded Services

To effectively serve the increasing number of older adults in the community, the center requires a facility with approximately 12,000 to 15,000 square feet. This expanded space would support a broader range of programs and services tailored to the needs of seniors.

4. Community Engagement and Planning

The center has been actively engaging the community through public forums and surveys to determine the best location for a new facility. Two primary sites are under consideration: constructing a new building on the site of the current Deerfield Town Hall or building an addition onto the Whately Town Offices. A recent survey of 120 respondents, 65 who reside in Deerfield, 23 who reside in Sunderland, and 32 who reside in Whately, show a preference for the Whately location.

5. Demographic Trends and Future Needs

The report by Caitlin Coyle (June 2022) from the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging highlights the growing senior population in the region. This study shows 29% of residents in South County are age 60+ and projections suggest that by 2035, this proportion will increase up to 37% of the total population.

These factors underscore the center’s need for a new, permanent facility to continue providing essential services and programs to the region’s senior population. Read the report below.

In February and March of 2025, the South County Senior Center hosted two successful community forums that brought together members, staff, and design professionals to share ideas and discuss the future of the center.

Presentations were delivered by edmSTUDIO and the South County Senior Center staff, offering insights into preliminary design concepts, space needs, and priorities gathered from community input. These forums served as vital opportunities for attendees to engage directly with the planning process, ask questions, and help shape a shared vision for a vibrant and inclusive senior center.

Be sure to view the presentations below to see what the South County Senior Center has to offer, and our journey to why we need a new one space Center. View the edmSTUDIO plans and learn the steps taken to get us here below.