(Pictured: LIghthouse Senior Center in Tacoma, one of two such centers the city plans to close.)

Tacoma is moving toward converting two senior centers to other uses and transferring their services for older adults to Metro Parks Tacoma.  

The city announced in October that it’s working on a partnership with Metro Parks to expand and enhance services for people 50 and older—a change from the current minimum age of 60 for participation in the city-sanctioned senior programs. Officials said the new arrangement would produce a wider range of programs, activities, and resources for Tacoma’s senior population.

“This partnership agreement, once finalized, will represent a significant step forward in our commitment to providing exceptional services for our seniors,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards.

 A letter about the change was sent Oct. 17 to seniors who frequent the Lighthouse and Beacon senior centers, the two facilities that city officials want to close at the end of 2024 and then repurpose them. The news reportedly caught seniors by surprise and generated opposition among them. One said the city needs to know “how important these centers are to all of us.” Another said that sentiment likely would be voiced in the form of petitions.

In a formal statement, city officials said that once the partnership with Metro Parks is “finalized,” other uses of the senior center sites  could include affordable housing, types of housing programs addressing homelessness, or space for city operations.

City and Metro representatives plan to meet with seniors in December to “ensure a smooth transition,” officials said.

Franke Tobey Jones, a retirement community in the North Tacoma area, took over operations of Lighthouse and Beacon in 2023 after negotiations with the city. At the time, Beacon was undergoing renovations that officials said would enable it to function long-term as a senior activity center and an overnight shelter for young adults

Lighthouse is located at 5016 A St., near Pacific Avenue, and Beacon is downtown at 415 S. 13th St.

A city spokeswoman, Maria Lee, said Franke Tobey Jones staff members working at the centers may be considered for employment in the revised senior services.

Franke Tobey Jones also runs the city-owned Point Defiance-Ruston Senior Center under a contract that continues through March 2025. The city anticipates renegotiating that agreement next month, according to Lee.