Phoenix is moving forward with plans for a new senior center in Laveen, a roughly 12,000-square-foot facility planned for the Aguila Park area that city leaders and advocates say will finally give the community's older residents a dedicated place to gather, exercise, and connect with services.
The city of Phoenix is beginning the design of a new senior center in Laveen, according to yourvalley.net, which reports the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved $1 million for Holly Street Studio, LLC to provide architectural services for the project. The outlet reports the center is planned in the Aguila Park area southwest of 35th Avenue and Baseline Road, though a city procurement listing on app.govly.com describes the project as being in the Parkway West location — a discrepancy that has not been independently resolved. As reported by ABC15, a feasibility assessment will examine what will ultimately be included in the center.
What the Center Might Include
Procurement documents indicate the center may include multipurpose rooms, a lobby and reception area, a commercial kitchen, and a fitness center, per the same govly.com listing, which also notes the project is funded by a General Obligation Bond and includes site improvements such as grading, drainage, parking, and landscaping. A related posting on civiciq.com confirms the city requested qualifications for architectural services for the new Laveen senior center, with submissions due electronically by June 12, 2026, through the city's procurement portal.
No construction start date, completion date, or total project cost beyond the $1 million architectural-services approval has been confirmed. Likewise, the final programming, operating budget, hours, and staffing for the Laveen center have not yet been established, according to available procurement records.
Vice Mayor Points to Summer Turnout
Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington sponsored multiple senior classes in Laveen over the summer, and according to ABC15, those classes received overwhelming support and attendance from senior citizens — a response she says underscores the need for a permanent gathering space. Hodge Washington told ABC15 she is interested to see the programming planned for the senior center once it takes shape.
Ismael Cantu, who works for the Area Agency on Aging, said senior centers serve important roles in their communities, providing places for older adults to connect with each other and with key resources, according to ABC15. Cantu also noted that some seniors become more isolated because they cannot travel or drive at night, a dynamic that advocates say makes a nearby, accessible center especially valuable for Laveen's older residents.
A Citywide Gap for Older Adults Living Alone
The planned Laveen center fills what ABC15 described as a resource gap for the community, one that fits into a broader picture of need across Phoenix. A city Human Services Department community needs assessment found that roughly 33,000 women over 64 and about 20,000 men over 64 live alone in Phoenix, with senior-headed single households representing 8.5% of all households citywide, according to the City of Phoenix Human Services Department.
Phoenix currently operates 15 senior centers citywide offering services, congregate meals, recreation, education, and programming, according to the City of Phoenix. For context on scale, the city's existing Devonshire Senior Center spans about 23,000 square feet and offers a fitness center, dance and exercise room, billiards room, meeting space, and an art gallery, according to the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.
For older residents who need help navigating transportation, housing, long-term care, meals, or home care in the meantime, Maricopa County notes that the Senior HELP LINE, operated through the Area Agency on Aging, Region One, provides information, referral, and assistance to older adults and caregivers, according to Maricopa County. As the design process for the Laveen center continues, city officials have not yet detailed which architectural firm was ultimately selected or when construction might begin.
