Reading Council on Aging Defers on Divider as New Senior Center Tracks $2.5 Million Under Budget

READING — May 11, 2026 — Reading Council on Aging hears new senior center is on schedule and $2.5 million under budget, but defers room divider question. The Permanent Building Committee liaison reported at the May 11 meeting that construction at the new facility broke ground March 17 with a 499-day timeline pointing to a July 9, 2027, substantial completion date and a soft opening September 3, 2027. Despite the favorable budget position, the liaison asked the council to pause the divider discussion while town staff develop alternative small-program space options, drawing pushback from several members who argued using rooms designated for other purposes would reduce rather than increase available senior space. A Select Board member attending the meeting said "there's no reason not to take another vote" at the Permanent Building Committee given that the project "barely put a shovel in the ground." Separately, members flagged a roughly 10 percent decline in both program attendance and offerings over recent months and called for a formal presentation from the town treasurer and commissioner of trust funds to clarify how much money is available in accounts that include the Burbank fund, which currently holds approximately $388,000 against an original principal of about $225,000.