Gwinnett’s swanky new senior center is officially open

Officials from Gwinnett County, the Georgia General Assembly and others involved in the project cut the ribbon on the new Centerville Senior Center on Tuesday morning. TYLER ESTEP / TYLER.ESTEP@AJC.COM

Officials from Gwinnett County, the Georgia General Assembly and others involved in the project cut the ribbon on the new Centerville Senior Center on Tuesday morning. TYLER ESTEP / TYLER.ESTEP@AJC.COM

Gwinnett County officially has a brand new senior center.

Officials from the county, the state legislature and others cut the ribbon Tuesday morning on the Centerville Senior Center, which opened the day prior.

The new building at 3025 Bethany Church Road more than doubles the number of people who could be served at the previous “satellite center,” which consisted of a single room in the library branch next door.

The Centerville community is southwest of Snellville and includes one of Gwinnett County’s largest and oldest black populations.

“This is an amazing, beautiful facility,” said state Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick, whose District 93 includes the new center.

The new senior center includes a dining room capable of serving more than 100 seniors and a full kitchen with a serving line, as well as a billiards area, other activity spaces and a “personal care” room.

Outside, a rocking chair-lined patio overlooks a nearby lake.

The new  facility is Gwinnett’s fourth full-service senior center. The others are in Buford, Lawrenceville, and Norcross.

About $2.9 million from the county’s 2014 penny sales tax was used to pay for the Centerville center.

“This is another great example of what our community can do by working together,” county Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said.

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