The city of Hermiston will have to turn to Plan B in its efforts to find a home for the new senior center.
The Hermiston City Council will address the issue at tonight’s meeting after the city was unable to reach a purchase agreement with the owners of the Aspen property behind Wal-Mart. The city made an offer of $200,000 for the property in November, based on the property’s fair market value. The owners, however, rejected the offer.
With time running out to build the new center on schedule – to be called the Harkenrider Center after former Mayor Frank Harkenrider – the council will vote on a resolution tonight establishing a piece of property on Ridgeway behind the library as the new preferred site. While the Aspen site was the first choice of the Senior Advisory Committee, the Ridgeway site was its second choice. The third choice of the committee is the former site of the Hermiston Goodwill on Hermiston Avenue.
The Ridgeway property is a two-acre site – one acre being owned by the city and the second acre owned by the Hermiston School District. The district has pledged their portion of the property to the city through a long-term, low-cost lease.
The center will be funded through a $2 million Community Development Block Grant.
Tonight’s meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Hermiston City Hall.
