For the last five years, Hingham has spent a lot of time discussing a new Center for Active Living. Everyone agrees that the current Town Hall setup is not ideal: there are accessibility concerns, the roof leaks, there is limited space, and the infrastructure is old and inefficient. The town’s solution is a $30 million dedicated senior center on 5 acres at Bare Cove.
However, seniors are not the only residents who use Town Hall and need better space. Hingham Rec has arguably worse facilities than the current senior center, in the basement of Town Hall. As a mom who has struggled with a newborn and a stroller in those stairwells, I can attest that accessibility is challenging. These spaces currently host many of the same Rec activities that will be available in the new senior center, like dance, yoga, and mahjong. The new senior center will also have spaces that aren’t available elsewhere: two art rooms, a media room, a game room, a classroom, a cafe, and a large multipurpose room with a kitchen.
If we are going to invest this much in a new public building, we should be building a community center that is designed for everyone: seniors, adults, and families…