Construction on the Kenaitze Indian Tribe’s new 6,500 square foot elder center in Old Town Kenai begins this week.
Executive Director Jaylene Peterson-Nyren said a small groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday for the Tyotka’s Elder Center building.
Peterson-Nyren: “The facility will house a DEC approved kitchen as we see probably between 60-80 elders every day in our lunch program and it provides a space for elders to gather, to visit, and to prevent isolation.”
This new building is walking distance from the Denaina Wellness Center and will replace the previous 5,000 square foot structure which was torn down this spring due to structural damage.
Peterson-Nyren: “Last June we had a gas leak in the facility which caused us to shut the facility down and upon further inspection we found that we had severe structural issues and when we looked at a cost benefit analysis of either fixing the issues or constructing new, it penciled out for current and future space needs to go ahead and construct a new facility.”
The project is slated to be completed in the winter of 2015.