listen to this articleOKLAHOMA CITY – The long-awaited, state-of-the-art MAPS 3 Senior Health and Wellness Center opens this week at 13660 S. Western Ave.
“It’s a shame it’s late, but the good news is it’s finished and it’s looking great. It’s going to be a great asset to the community,” said MAPS Program Manager David Todd. “We are proud of the results.”
Todd said the original completion date was December 2022, but several additions to the design pushed it back to March 2023. As the day wore on, residents began asking what was going on.
“We always experience changes to our opening times due to weather or design changes, but this is the only time we’ve had a significant delay other than those factors,” Todd said.
Contractor W. L. McNatt & Co. reported problems supplying steel, glass and labor for the $14.3 million project.
Officials plan to open the 44,892-square-foot facility with a ribbon cutting Wednesday at 2 p.m. The general public is also welcome.
“We will lead tours and register participants,” said Kelly Kay, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, which will operate the new wellness center.
“We’re excited that it’s finally happening. We’ve been waiting a long time, and the seniors of south Oklahoma City have been waiting for this a long time,” Kaye said.
The wellness center includes heated lap and therapy pools, a large fitness center, a gym with pickleball machines, an elevated indoor walking/jogging track, a game room, art and culinary classroom space, a group exercise studio, a reading room, and recreation. and sports activities, health clinics and more.
Patty Miner, 69, who lives about a mile from the new facility, was one of the residents excited about the opening.
“I’d like to go and see for myself,” Miner said. “Besides being new and nearby, you have to be over 50 to attend. It’s going to be people my age.”
As the hot summer months approach, Miner said an indoor walking trail would be a good idea. She also wants to try muscle-toning classes, cooking classes, and arts and crafts options.
Mr Kaye said the age limit of 50 and above would not only give seniors a “dedicated space” but also free up some capacity at the nearby Early Wine Park YMCA, one of the busiest branches in the metropolitan area. He said that it would also happen.
Seniors who already have a YMCA membership will automatically have access to the new wellness center, and seniors who purchase a wellness center membership will have access to all YMCA branches.
Wellness Center membership costs $35 per month for individuals and $65 per month for households, with discounts available for those 65 and older.
“This is a huge benefit for south Oklahoma City,” Kaye said. “It really focuses on the needs of seniors.”
From evidence-based chronic disease prevention and nutrition programs to programs and activities for highly active seniors, the new wellness center will have something for everyone, he said.
“We are really excited to have the Y as our operator,” Todd said.
The first three senior wellness centers are all popular and well-used, he said. A fifth center is included in the MAPS 4 plan, but its location has not yet been determined.
