City Updates: Senior Center Construction, School Resource Officer

Construction on the new Traverse City Senior Center building is set to begin in September, with bids due in August that will help determine the final price tag of the project and whether additional fundraising or design adjustments will be needed. City commissioners received an update on the project at a study session Monday, where they also met with Traverse City Area Public Schools officials to discuss a new school resource officer coming to Central High School.

Senior Center
With final design work on the new Traverse City Senior Center building now more than 50 percent complete, the latest cost estimate for the project is $10.6 million, staff told commissioners Monday. Construction bids are due on August 4, which will give the city its “real number” for the total project, according to Ray Kendra of Environment Architects.

Approximately $8.1 million has been allocated for the project, including a $7 million state grant and a $500,000 commitment from the city in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. That leaves a funding gap of approximately $2.5 million, though that gap could shrink – or grow – depending on construction bids. Construction contracts will be brought to city commissioners for approval at their August 21 meeting, with the goal of breaking ground in September and finishing by December 2024.

Mayor Richard Lewis noted that the bid package will include several “alternates,” or design options. Amenities like a covered drop-off area, geothermal systems and snowmelt, higher-end roofing materials, commercial kitchen equipment, and pickleball/tennis courts could be dropped from the project or delayed to a future date if needed due to cost constraints. But staff also said they’re working closely with Grand Traverse County – which provides programming in the city-owned building through the Grand Traverse County Senior Network – to identify funding sources to close the gap. That could include additional ARPA funds, energy rebates, street reconstruction dollars (for work on Barlow Street adjacent to the Senior Center), and additional contributions from Grand Traverse County, among other potential sources.

Interim City Manager Nate Geinzer said the Friends of the Senior Center could also help with private fundraising, especially if it’s for amenities seniors really want to see included in the project. With a “community asset like this, having some community participation could be a good way to finish this project up,” he said. Geinzer noted the rebuild is “never going to get any cheaper than right now,” adding that construction costs will just continue to escalate if work is delayed. Kendra also said it’s important to remember that thanks to the state grant, the city is ultimately getting a $10 million-plus building for just “three million out of pocket.”

The rebuild will increase the size of the Senior Center on East Front Street from 5,780 square feet to over 18,114 square feet, including exterior spaces. The building will be “oriented to the north to open park space and views of the public beach from Front Street, and will include exterior covered spaces to maximize the outdoor opportunities and the views along the shores of West Grand Traverse Bay,” according to a new city web page dedicated to the project.

School Resource Officer
A new school resource officer (SRO) is set to come to Traverse City Central High School starting this fall thanks to a state grant awarded to Traverse City Area Public Schools. The state will cover 50 percent of the cost of an SRO, with TCAPS covering 25 percent and the district’s local law enforcement agency – which would be the official employer of the SRO – covering the remaining 25 percent. Because Central High School is in the City of Traverse City, the Traverse City Police Department would be the partnering law enforcement agency for an SRO at that school.

City Police Chief Jeff O’Brien previously called the SRO program – which TCPD ran at TCAPS from 1982-2019 – “one of the most important, successful, and long-term programs” within the police department. At Monday’s meeting, he said the new generation of SROs are different than those of the past. The goal is not to be a disciplinarian for TCAPS, but for the officer to build relationships with students, provide a consistent law enforcement contact for staff, and work in prevention, peer support, mentorship, and security. Matt Richmond – who will become interim police chief when O’Brien retires at the end of this week – said having an armed officer on-site also provides an extra level of safety in the event of an emergency, like a school shooting.

TCAPS Trustee Josey Ballenger said safety was among her top priorities as a parent of students in the TCAPS school system, calling an “SRO” a missing piece in the district’s security toolbox. “As a parent, I would definitely have a better peace of mind knowing we have SROs in our schools,” she said, adding that she hoped TCAPS could eventually have officers stationed at all its schools. Central High School Principal Jessie Houghton said she frequently interacts with law enforcement – for everything from criminal acts committed by students to speeding and car accidents around the high school to home welfare checks on students – and said having one consistent person to work with who has specialized training as an SRO would be a “huge” benefit to Central High.

Some commissioners and TCAPS trustees also raised concerns about the program Monday. Some advocated for keeping the SRO in plain clothes rather than full uniform to be less intimidating to students, which TCAPS staff said was a likely option. TCAPS Trustee Holly Bird also hoped the SRO would be educated on the trauma that many students in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community associate with law enforcement. Bird noted the last boarding school closed just within the last few decades, and that for many families, officers are associated with separating children and parents. She advocated for an SRO that would emphasize dispute resolution and restorative techniques “over some of the conventional techniques that might be used out in the streets, because we’re dealing with students, we’re dealing with children.”

Geinzer said a contract for the SRO would come to city commissioners for approval in July. TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner said the district’s goal is to fill the position in August, having the SRO in place for the start of the new school year.

Photo credit: Environment Architects