By JANET McGREGOR
jmac_snippets@hotmail.com

If you have a spare $3 million you would like to donate toward the building of the new senior center in Fayetteville, then Fayette Senior Services can break ground for the project as soon as your check clears the bank.

Barring the appearance of such a large donor, the group will continue with its current fund-raising plans.

FSS, a nonprofit organization, is seeking financial support for the construction of a new 21,000-sq. ft. multipurpose senior center. Leaders estimate the cost for the building to be approximately 2.5 million dollars.

The board of FSS has announced plans to begin simultaneously approaching leaders in the community and community corporations, and pursuing corporate grants and endowments. The fund-raising committee also is considering hiring a consultant to assist or spearhead the raising of funds to build the new senior center.

Recently the group received its first bronze level donation from Vicki Tuner. Turner serves on the board and is the co-owner of AIS Computers.

Fayette County also has been working with the seniors to assist in the project. In addition to providing three acres for the center, the county has allocated $25,000 a year for the past seven years for the FSS capital funding program. FSS is in the process of applying for a $500,000 state of Georgia Community Base Development Grant and hopes to obtain approximately $1 million in grants and gifts from other foundations.

“The remaining funds will be solicited from the citizens and corporations in Fayette County,” said Ted Brown, FSS board president, in a fund-raising letter. “When the capital funds are combined with Fayette Senior Services' own funding efforts, it is our hope that you will assist us in reaching our goal of approximately $800,000.”

The new center will be built on the southeast corner of a 65-acre site for the county's new courthouse and expanded jail in Fayetteville. The center will be approximately 250 feet from Jimmy Mayfield Boulevard and approximately 200 feet from the southern residential neighborhood property line.

The Fayette County Commission has offered to coordinate site development with FSS, a move that should result in some cost-savings for the organization. FSS will reimburse the county for any expenses incurred.

Flynn-Finderup Architects, the firm chosen to design the new center, has submitted a schematic design for the building, which has been approved by the FSS board. Additionally, Flynn-Finderup has hired Jim Mallet & Associates as its project civil engineer. Mallet also is project manager for the county's $60 million jail/courthouse project.

The hiring of Mallet will help ensure compatibility in the exterior look of both projects, said a spokesman.

According to literature provided by Flynn-Finderup, “The goal of the county and the senior center is to create a parklike setting, preserving as many existing mature trees as possible and maintaining buffers that exceed the minimum development standards.”

County Commission Vice Chairman Greg Dunn has met on several occasions with representatives from FSS and the architects. “Fayette Senior Services and Flynn-Finderup have been very gracious in acceding to our requests regarding siting of the building and architectural considerations,” said Dunn. “I'm impressed with their recent progress and look forward to a world-class senior center in a very short time frame. I'm pleased that we have been able to establish such a good working relationship.”

To make a donation or for more information, phone Andy Carden or Ted Brown through Fayette Senior Services at 770-461-0813. Donations also can be mailed to 390 Lee St., Fayetteville 30214-2056.