City of Ankeny – Senior Community Center

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The Ankeny Community School District was struggling to keep up with growth in the area while lending space to the senior center. To remedy the issue, the City of Ankeny partnered with Polk County and engaged Shive-Hattery for the design of a new community senior center. With pooled resources of two public entities and a concept 10+ years in the making, our team collaborated to craft a senior center with features that would serve Ankeny community members of all ages.
 
To find the perfect new home for the community senior center, numerous locations were considered with several factors in mind such as easy access for seniors and distance from the existing location. The initial favorite, a portion of Hawkeye Park adjacent to the pond, presented schedule issues due to land transfer to the city. The selected site’s conditions provided one of the biggest challenges, as evaluation of storm drainage and utilities would require reconfiguration to meet the project needs.
 
With an estimated completion date of September 2021, the project team was challenged by a complex program that accommodated the needs of staff and visitors. Having multiple representatives at the City, County, and Parks and Recreation was an additional hurdle.
 
Shive-Hattery was hired for a site study based on our previous senior center experience with Polk County. The selected site, just south of Hawkeye Park, required relocating geothermal wells and rotating and reconfiguring the building design. There were also design and stormwater drainage challenges in determining how to aesthetically maintain flow through an existing ditch located in front of the building. Extensive coordination with designers of neighboring projects on either side of the site was crucial to arrive upon the best solution, and ultimately save the client money.
 
As the design discussions progressed, it became apparent that the City of Ankeny could benefit from not only a new senior center, but also a recreation center and events venue. During the pre-design stage, the City asked us to consider incorporating a track into the one-story design. We proposed a second level for an interior running track, better utilizing the interior space and maximizing the views to the park and pond across the street. The vision for the building started as a one-story senior center with congregate meals and transformed into a two-level multipurpose center offering services beyond the conventional. This unique program allows the seniors access to activities nontypical to a senior center.
 
Our core team members met with five client representatives throughout the design process to ensure all needs were being incorporated. By assigning roles to each representative and having clear lines of communication, we were able to gain consensus as a team and speed up the design process. Our collaborative approach between all in-house disciplines and the client team transformed the original vision beyond what the client and community had initially imagined. All voices were heard, and a wide variety of needs were met in the final design of the 30,000+ square foot building.
  
Ankeny area community members of all ages have a beautiful and unique building to socialize with their peers over coffee and lunch, exercise, host parties and events, and participate in a wide variety of activities from crafts to exercise. The pickleball, basketball, and volleyball courts beneath the running track are a big draw, especially in the colder months. For less strenuous activities, visitors can use the billiards room, golf simulator room, bocce ball court, elevated shuffleboards, or general arts and craft spaces to socialize.
 
The Ankeny Senior Community Center is a destination for not only seniors, but the entire community.