The Santiva Chronicle publishes opinions and letters on topics that are important to Sanibel and Captiva. They may be submitted via e-mail at news@santivachronicle.com. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Santiva Chronicle.
The Past:
1977 marked the first Board of Directors of Sanibel Island Seniors. This group of 9 members determined a need/desire to come together to create, organize, and execute activities specifically designed for island seniors. Activities and outings were held in homes and organized by volunteers.
1991 through 1993 talks were held between Island Seniors and the City and the Recreation Department about the growing senior population on Sanibel and their need for staff and a dedicated space to operate.
1993 the City of Sanibel acquired the 2401 Library Way property. This 5,080 sf building on 1.3 acres was constructed in 1973 and was the Library until the new Library was built. The building, called the Civic Center, renamed Center4Life in 2013, housed Sanibel Island Seniors, Inc. and Community Housing Resources, Inc (CHR).
The Present:
1993-Current Operations:
Sanibel Island Seniors vision is to continually enhance the social, physical and mental health of Sanibel Seniors through activities, lectures, exercise, fellowship, social gatherings, community outreach etc.
Over 90% of our financial expenses are included in the City Budget for staff, facilities management/maintenance exercise instructors and insurance. Island Seniors covers the cost of furnishings, equipment, activities, class instructors, gaming materials, pot luck and social activities food and drink, etc.
Because the City provides so much financial support, Island Senior’s annual membership fee is only $20.00/ person. This allows all seniors on the Island to participate in activities they may not be able to afford through other community programs. Also, Island Senior members who are Sanibel Recreation members have free access to C4L exercise classes. All others pay by the class. All members pay for activities that have a cost, with Island Senior membership paying a discounted amount.
Membership has continued to grow:
2005: 563 members
2010: 712 members
2019: 833 members
Likewise, overall participants across all activities per year has also grown from 6,804 in 2004 to 13,414 in 2019.
A sample of activities offered: aerobics class, gentle yoga, chair yoga, qigong, line dancing, bridge and mahjong (playing and classes to learn), kayaking, meditation, book discussion group, hearts, hand and foot, potlucks, theatre events, health lectures, numerous tours to area sites of interest, lunch outings, bingo, sunset on the causeway, talent show and more.
In 2010, the City Council called together five of the non-profits on the Island, each of which submitted requests for more space and/or parking. They were: Big Arts, Sanibel Community Association, the Library, Sanibel Historical Museum and Island Seniors. After extensive discussion a Civic Core plan was proposed. Due to non-support from Island citizens and lack of funding from Lee County, the Civic Core idea was dropped. Four of the non-profits moved on to fund their own expansions and/or reconstruction.
Island Seniors, at the Center4Life, continued to operate out of their current building. And, City Council continued to explore various opportunities to improve the current building status and parking problems. Then in 2019, the City purchased the Sanibel Captiva Community Bank for Island Seniors and CHR future use.
In 2013 and updated in 2017, an extensive needs assessment was done to examine program needs based on demographics and what space was required to meet those needs. This determined the need for more space but also updated more efficient space and parking.
The current building was reviewed for possible renovations and upgrades but it was determined there were numerous issues affecting functional improvements including several structural deficiencies.
On December 30, 2019, the City purchased the land and building at 2475 Library Way (the Sanibel Captiva Community Bank ) for $1,899,176.43. This will become the home of the new C4L Senior Center.
To facilitate the purchase and remodel of the land and building, the City issued debt on June 19, 2020 for $15 million – $10 million of the issuance is to be used for an ongoing Sewer plant renovation and the $5 million specifically designated for the C4L project.
As of this date, the Bank has moved to its new location on Periwinkle Way.
A timeline beginning with Request for Architectural and Design bids through construction was laid out but with the pandemic has been on hold. We are hoping this process can begin in 2021.
Sanibel Island Seniors at the current C4L building has been closed since March 16, 2020 due to the pandemic. Sanibel Island Seniors has contributed monies to the Sanibel Community House during this time to support the exercise instructors in which our members participate. The Island Seniors Board and its book discussion group have been meeting via Zoom during this time. Discretionary funds run out the end of April. No further financial support will be available.
The Future:
Until the April 6th City Council meeting, Island Seniors were under the impression that City Council would discuss at their May meeting the possibility of reopening the Center4Life and Island Seniors, Inc programming could begin once again under CDC guidelines.
The Police department needs additional space and funding to modernize their building. The Center4Life has the funding through a loan the City took out specifically ear marked for Island Seniors/Center4Life refurbishment of the recently purchased bank on Library Way. The City Manager proposed three options:
1. Move the police into the current Center4Life, rent another place for Island Seniors programming or the police department, and use the current $3+M left from the loan to modernize the police building.
2. Keep Island Seniors in the current C4L building, move the police into the recently purchased bank on Library Way, and again use the $3+M loan money to modernize the police building. Take out another loan for Island Seniors extending their time line to 2026.
3. Move Island Seniors, Inc programming into the Community – possibly SCA or the Recreation Center.
The City Manager and her staff will review all options, and maybe more for presentation at the next City Council meeting.
Is there a future for Island Seniors? We hope so, but this blind side was very disconcerting. We look forward to working with both City Council and the City Manager’s office to meet the needs of Sanibel Island Seniors in reopening the current building when safe to do so and in renovating 2475 as quickly as possible to serve those needs.
Island Seniors Inc. Board of Directors
Although I have absolutely no knowledge of the now & future needs of the Sanibel Police Dept., I urge the City Manager and City Council to adopt option 2., with one additional change: Please – Keep Island Seniors in the present C4L building and move the police into the old bank building – AS WELL AS – CHR., & use the $3+M for additional space/modernization.
As a very long-time, year round, resident I have found the Sanibel Island Seniors organization one of our, woefully, fewer and fewer remaining, truly neighborly, residents support groups! This once charming Island of both winter and full time folks has become a short-stay, commercial, vacation stop-off of rental properties and seldom used million dollar houses and condominiums.
I have always believed that the top priority of the Sanibel City Council was the support of the City and those of us who call it HOME! Please Councilmembers, most of us are – in fact – Seniors. Give us TOP priority!