DERBY — One of the area’s busiest senior centers is getting a new home. The Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Derby recently donated its building and property to the city for use as the Derby Senior Center.
The 6,400-square-foot building, built in 2006, sits on 6.9 acres of land at 1315 S. Rock Road in southeast Derby, and is valued at more than $1 million. Mayor Randy White called the gift “an extraordinary act of philanthropy that will shape the future of Derby Senior Services.”
The church is closing its doors at the end of this month because of dwindling membership.
The city’s current senior center is part of the City Hall at 611 N. Mulberry. There’s no timeline set yet for the move. After a space study of the current location and church property, the city will decide what sort of improvements are needed, said Jenny Foster-Farquhar, director of senior services and transportation.
“The (church) structure was built to be able to add on to that space,” she said.
The property will also be able to accommodate the senior center’s garden, which was started two years ago and is now located at the city’s public works facility.
“As far as our members, we’ve had a lot of excitement around the (new) center, particularly with having outdoor space,” Foster-Farquhar said.
