Copperas Cove’s new senior center is almost ready for prime time, and the city has officially decided who will run it once the doors open.
The single-story facility at 2400 Walker Place Boulevard is “nearly complete,” according to city leaders, and the City Council on Tuesday signed off on a five-year lease with the Hill Country Community Action Association (HCCAA) to handle day-to-day programming at the site. Council members also worked through a grab bag of other business, including an animal ordinance update and several budget amendments that shuffle money among key city funds.
As detailed by the Killeen Daily Herald, the council opted to table a public hearing on topics such as mandatory microchipping, animals-at-large, and a potential new name for the city’s animal shelter. The Herald also reports that the Walker Place building is “nearly complete” and confirms that the lease shifts senior-center programming duties to HCCAA for the next five years.
The City of Copperas Cove lists HCCAA as the current provider of senior services and offers contact details for the existing center at 1012 North Drive. The Hill Country Community Action Association runs multi-service senior programs across the region and will take charge of scheduling activities and nutrition services once operations shift to the Walker Place site.
Project timeline and contractors
The new, dedicated senior building follows the sale of the city’s previous shared facility and a months-long search for a replacement location. Local coverage notes that Copperas Cove broke ground in late 2024 and initially targeted a fall 2025 opening date. Construction stretched into early 2026 as crews wrapped up finish work and connected utilities, according to KWTX.
Budget adjustments the council signed off on
To help close out those construction contracts and cover related operating needs, the council approved a package of budget amendments for fiscal 2025–26. Per the agenda packet summarized by the Killeen Daily Herald, the changes bump spending by $1,306,694 in the general fund, $1,078,489 in the water and sewer fund, and $1,742,950 in the solid waste fund.
City staff told council members those adjustments are designed to finish out the project financially while the lease with HCCAA and the first round of programming plans are finalized.
What seniors will get
City officials and HCCAA say the new layout will support an expanded mix of health, wellness, and educational offerings, along with dedicated rooms for meals, classes, and social gatherings. The idea is that HCCAA’s regional expertise, paired with the city’s oversight during the handoff, will keep meal service and outreach efforts running without a gap when operations move from North Drive to Walker Place.
Next on the to-do list: finishing punch-list construction items, clearing inspections, and wrapping up the lease paperwork. City staff told the council they expect HCCAA to start programming at the new center as soon as those steps are done, with more details to surface in upcoming city agendas and public notices.
