Donation offered to replace 54-year-old North Mesa Senior Center

The City of Carlsbad is mulling options to replace the North Mesa Senior Center, said Wendy Austin, interim city administrator.

She wrote in a memo to the Carlsbad City Council April 4 that a local charitable organization, wishing to remain anonymous, offered to secure a land donation working with the Carlsbad Department of Development (CDOD) for a new senior center in the Cascades of Carlsbad.

“The City has outgrown the North Mesa Senior Center and the donation of a new senior center facility, of a modern and larger size, would be a benefit to the City and its citizens,” Austin wrote in the memo.

In an April 17 email to the Current-Argus, Austin said there have not been additional discussions between the City of Carlsbad and the private donor.

Austin said the proposed senior facility would be near the Carlsbad Adult Respite Facility at 201 Cascades Avenue.

Jeff Campbell, CDOD interim director, offered no comment on the proposed project.

North Mesa Senior not keeping up with demands

Built in 1970, Austin said the current facility is beyond capacity and there is no reasonable way to expand the North Mesa Senior Center.

She wrote that the facility has a waiting list for an activity room for exercise classes, line dance classes, pottery and silversmithing workshops.

"Every room is spoken for a couple of times a day," said Ward 3 Carlsbad City Councilor Karla Niemeier. "Everything is put together and well organized. They are bursting out at the seams."

Carlsbad Mayor Richard Lopez said the proposed new center would double in size from 10,000 square feet to a nearly estimated 19,000 square feet.

Austin said the design of the facility would also include space for further expansion, an outdoor recreational area and walking path.

“The estimated costs of equipping, furnishing, and landscaping the new facility would be approximately $500,000 to $900,000,” Austin wrote in her memorandum to councilors.

She said the City has a pending grant of $431,000 for work at the North Mesa Senior Center.

Lopez said plans for the proposed new senior are still in the early stages with the "potential of moving quickly,” he said.

If a new senior center is designated, Austin said the current building at could serve as storage, a training facility or meeting space.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.