The construction of the Lacey’s Spring senior center is just getting under way, according to Morgan County District 4 Commissioner Greg Abercrombie.

Construction was scheduled to start March 1 but inclement weather put the project behind schedule. As of Friday, the dirt was finally being hauled in and construction was on track to start at the beginning of this week.

“The wet weather made it impossible for us to get the dirt in place earlier,” Abercrombie said. “We tried a few times, but we kept getting stuck. We finally had enough dry weather to get our trucks in there. The dirt is being placed today (Friday), and construction can hopefully begin Monday. The metal is already on site.”

The project is about 70 days behind, but Adams Contracting will have 150 days to finish the project from the time construction begins, pending the weather.

The new senior center is being built in the same location as the old one that was torn down.

The old senior center was a church that was used by many senior members as a senior center. It was bought by the county and had no insulation and a bad floor. Abercrombie said it was becoming a hazard to the community.

“The existing senior center was not in good shape,” Abercrombie said. “They had already had someone fall on the warped floor. We had someone come in to see what we could do to fix it up, but they suggested we just tear it down and build a new one.”

Abercrombie said they are utilizing the space they have and  building the biggest facility they can on the property they have. The new building will be a metal structure with a brick façade. It will have a kitchen, bathrooms and plenty of space for games and fellowship.

According to Abercrombie, about 15-18 seniors were utilizing the old senior center not counting the people who received take-out meals from the center.

“The Union Hill senior center grew from about the size the Lacey’s Spring center was at to about 45 after they got their new building,” Abercrombie said. “We are hoping to see similar growth at this one. This center is made for a good time, and it will provide the us a county-owned place for seniors. This will hopefully be a good place that can be enjoyed for years to come.”