Riverside senior center seeks three to five million
- Janet Goeske Foundation asked California lawmakers on April 29 for state money to renovate and expand Riverside’s senior center, citing rising demand. - The center is seeking $3 million initially, while leaders say a fuller renovation and expansion could cost roughly $3 million to $5 million. - Legislators were invited to tour the Riverside center at 5257 Sierra Street as state budget and grant discussions continue.
Danielle Stevens and other Janet Goeske Foundation leaders went to Sacramento on April 29 to ask California lawmakers for money to renovate and expand the Janet Goeske Center in Riverside. The foundation is seeking a $3 million state grant for the project, according to the center and local reporting. Center leaders say the broader need could run about $3 million to $5 million as they look to update an aging building, add accessibility features and make room for more services. The request centers on a senior hub at 5257 Sierra Street that the City of Riverside lists as offering more than 160 weekly classes and programs. The center serves adults 50 and older and combines recreation with services such as counseling, benefits help, support groups and health-related programs. Foundation officials say the building has to be updated if it is going to keep pace with the region’s older population. ### Why is the center asking Sacramento for money now? The Janet Goeske Foundation said its delegation met with state senators, assemblymembers and legislative staff on April 29 to press for renovation funding. Raincross Gazette reported that Stevens traveled with board directors Julio Figueroa, Sean Rand and Diane Kwasman to make the case for a state grant. Danielle Stevens said the center’s aim is to keep older adults connected to services and to one another. “Our goal is to ensure that no senior ages alone,” she said, according to the Gazette’s May 6 report on the lobbying trip. ### What does the Janet Goeske Center do now? The City of Riverside says the Janet Goeske Center hosts more than 160 weekly classes and programs, many of them free or low cost. The city’s program page lists exercise and dance classes, social activities, workshops, health screenings, support groups, counseling and paralegal services. Raincross Gazette described the center as a place where older adults can get help with Medicare and Social Security issues, housing and food support, driver’s license renewals and grief services. That mix of social and practical assistance is part of the foundation’s argument that the site functions as more than a traditional senior center. ### How big is the demand in Riverside County and the Inland Empire? Riverside County’s older population is already large and projected to grow further. Riverside County said last month that one in five of its roughly 2.5 million residents is age 60 or older, and that population is expected to double in coming decades. The Riverside County Office on Aging’s 2024-2028 area plan says the county is projected to see a 248.2% increase in adults 65 and older between 2010 and 2060. The plan says the 85-and-older population is projected to rise even faster, increasing pressure on transportation, nutrition, caregiving and other aging services. ### What work would the money pay for? Foundation leaders have framed the project as both a renovation and an expansion. The reported scope includes upgraded infrastructure, more usable space and Americans with Disabilities Act-related improvements for an older facility that has been in service for decades. The center has operated in Riverside since 1984, according to foundation and community profiles. An earlier city budget item set aside $400,000 for bathroom renovations at the Janet Goeske senior center, indicating that at least some building upgrades were already on the city’s list before the new state funding push. ### Who would decide whether the center gets the money? California lawmakers and their staffs are the immediate audience for the request because the foundation is seeking state support rather than relying only on city funds or private donations. Raincross Gazette reported that legislators who met with the delegation expressed interest in continuing the conversation and were invited to tour the center. The next steps are likely to play out through state budget and grant discussions, with Stevens and the Janet Goeske Foundation continuing outreach to lawmakers. Any award amount, whether the initial $3 million ask or a larger package closer to the estimated $3 million to $5 million need, would depend on those state decisions and on the project scope the center ultimately advances.
