LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The CEO of a senior care facility and fitness center in Little Rock says the facility will be forced to close – leaving 500 members looking for services. This comes after the center was unable to get up to $90,000 – in city funds in time to continue operating for the remainder of the year.
Inside City Hall, more than 50 members of Carelink Fitness and Wellness Center fill the board room. “It’s the only dedicated senior center we have in the city,” says member, Brenda Gilbert. “I don’t think there’s one member of the facility who is not heartbroken about it.”
Many just finding out – one item supposed to be on Tuesdays agenda – whether or not to authorize the city manager to appropriate $90,000.00 to the center – has been deferred. “Well we found out that the city is going to defer and we know that they have budgetary issues that they need to deal with,” says CEO, Luke Mattingly.
City director Doris Wright says the facility, sitting on Cleveland Street in Little Rock, was supposed to close last month due to financial issues with new tax cuts and declining membership. “The proposal that I submitted to (City Manager Bruce Moore) is that we lease the building with an option to purchase it in about two to three years, if funds became available,” says City Director, Doris Wright. Allowing two other city resource centers to share the space occupied by Carelink – in order for them to remain open.
“We’re open to any solution that is good for the seniors that go that facility,” says Mattingly.
Now, seniors who say this is the only facility for them in the area, looking for other options after the end of the month. “We do need the city to help support us, and by the time they see us and know it’s real, it will make a difference,” says Gilbert.
City Director Doris Wright ended the meeting by pleading with the rest of the board to consider leasing the building from Carelink for a city owned resource and senior center. Mattingly says he has no choice but to close the doors for good on July 31st.
