Niceville Senior Center set to open

Inside the Niceville Senior Center are numerous comforts and facilities which include the Happy Days Diner, and rooms dedicated to socializing, arts & crafts, exercise, classes and meetings, a computer lab, and a game room.

The Niceville Senior Center will open its doors and begin regular operating hours on Wednesday, December 12.

The goal of the Niceville Senior Center is to empower and enhance the lives of adults 55 and over through programs and caring services that promote wellness, social connection, support, nutrition, education, independence, activities, volunteerism, and fun.

Its amenities include a landscaped courtyard inspired by courtyards in New Orleans and Savannah. It features an outdoor cooking island which includes grills and a pizza oven, porch with tables and chairs, a water fountain and a stage area for entertainment.

Inside the Niceville Senior Center are numerous comforts and facilities which include the Happy Days Diner, and rooms dedicated to socializing, arts & crafts, exercise, classes and meetings, a computer lab, and a game room.

Classes are likely to include yoga, meditation, tai chi, Zumba Gold, and aerobics. Invited speakers are likely to be physicians and other health professionals, attorneys, and gardening enthusiasts, among others.

The Happy Days Diner, which resembles an old-fashioned malt shop, will be used during special events.

The social room has comfortable sofas and chairs; shelves stocked with books, and a fireplace to help warm things up on cold winter days.

Outdoor features planned for the facility include raised-bed vegetable gardens, a pickleball court, putting green, and walking trail.

The senior center building was originally a surplus modular building obtained from the Navy. The 9,200-square-foot building had been used as a classroom for the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal training center at Eglin Air Force Base.

The City of Niceville purchased the building for about $80,000. It cost $35,000 to move it to the senior center site at 201 Campbell Drive.

For more information, call (850) 279-6436 ext. 1602.