Rensselaer County Opens New and Modern Hoosick Falls Senior Center with Event Today, County Executive Steve McLaughlin Announces
New Senior Center is State of the Art, Safe and Accessible and Vast Improvement Over Previous Center Location, McLaughlin Says
Rensselaer County opened a new senior center in Hoosick Falls on Wednesday, bringing in a new age of improved and supportive senior services in the area, County Executive Steve McLaughlin announced.
The new county senior center includes state-of-the-art equipment and features, a larger capacity kitchen, significant parking, safer and more convenient access, exercise area and movie theatre, and other assets.
“We are very proud of this new senior center, which we believe is among the finest in the nation. This will serve our seniors for years to come and be a place that is safe and supportive for all who come,” said McLaughlin.
“This is a dramatic improvement over the previous senior center and features new technology, a movie theatre, exercise area, and space for instructions and meetings. The kitchen is more flexible and with the ability to serve many more seniors if needed,” added McLaughlin.
The new county senior center in Hoosick Falls is the latest investment made by the county to improve senior services and replace outdated facilities. The county operates five senior centers across the county. In 2023, McLaughlin opened the new county senior center downtown, which is regarded as one of the finest in the entire country.
The county is also working to develop a new senior center for the East Greenbush-Rensselaer. Work is also slated for the county’s Edward C. Swartz Senior Center in Schodack.
“We are moving our senior centers from structures that were inadequate or incomplete to properties we are proud of and able to serve our seniors today and tomorrow,” said McLaughlin.
The county has also located a satellite DMV and Mental Health offices at the new senior center structure to support and expand services in the area. Both services were formerly at the Murphy Building.
Plans to purchase the property for the Hoosick Falls senior center were announced only one year ago this week. Planning began shortly after with work continuing during the past several months. Work has also been ongoing at the new East Greenbush-Rensselaer senior center during the past several months.
The new senior centers are included in the Reimagine Rensselaer County Facilities plan introduced by McLaughlin with support from the County Legislature. The Reimagine plan has also included establishment of new county offices at 99 Troy Road in East Greenbush, renovation of the County Office Building at 1600 7th Avenue in downtown Troy to house human services including the Department of Social Services, addition of a second DMV satellite and an independent office for the Probation Department adjacent to 1600 7th Avenue.
“This is transformational and important, making county government and services more effective and accessible. At the same time this work is going on, Rensselaer County is being recognized as a leader in the state in lowering taxes, with county taxes reduced by 37 percent during the past six years,” said McLaughlin.