Future high-speed rail nixes two Merced County community centers. What happens next?
Steve Antoine and four of his friends played dominoes at the Merced Senior Community Center on a recent Thursday afternoon. The 71-year-old said he visits the center twice a week.
“It gives me something to do with people my own age,” he said. The senior center hosts yoga classes, writing groups, wood carving workshops, belly dancing lessons, and popular BINGO tournaments for its average 100 daily attendees.
But things may change for Antoine and others who use the volunteer-run facility. The center, and the Boys & Girls Club, both have been told they will need to move to make way for construction of the high-speed rail in Merced in 2026.
Officials at both facilities say they need help to make the move and continue to serve city residents.
“Without adequate help, we risk closing our doors, leaving hundreds of children without the vital services they depend on,” See Lee, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Merced County, told the California High-Speed Rail Authority during a September board meeting in Sacramento.
The uncertainty over relocation funds and finding a new location has stressed those involved with both the center and the club.
“We need to plan now,” Peggy Hsu, project manager for the Boys and Girls Club, told Merced Sun-Star. “We welcome and believe in the promise of the high-speed rail. At the same time, we know that you need planning and collaboration to be able to seize opportunities, and that without proactive effort, there is the possibility that we could be left worse off.”
The relocation assistance that the High-Speed Rail Authority has offered the Boys & Girls Club club is not nearly enough, representatives say.
According to an High-Speed Rail spokesperson, both centers are eligible for three sets of relocation benefits: moving, reestablishment and advisory assistance. Advisory assistance is non-monetary, while reestablishment funds are capped at $33,200. Moving costs, such as hiring a moving company, have no limit.
A mutually beneficial collaboration
Both the senior center and Boys & Girls Club operate in city-owned facilities on West 15th Street. Whether their move is temporary or permanent remains to be determined, city officials say.
The Boys & Girls Club has been at the site since 2002. In exchange for rent, the club provides services to its more than 3,000 active community members and an average of 60 children each day. “We don’t pay rent. Instead, we operate the programs, and we don’t put an extra financial burden on the city,” Hsu said.
The senior center has a similar arrangement, managing programs out of its building rent-free since 1994.
“I think the impact of the high-speed rail specific to the senior community is immediate as a result of the loss of the building,” said Sharon Wardale-Trejo, vice president of Merced Senior Citizens Inc., the nonprofit that manages the center.
Center representatives say the transition likely means they will have to break up their service operations, functioning out of multiple locations, Wardale-Trejo said. She added that it’s not an ideal situation and their plan depends on the deal that city officials obtain with the rail authority.
“The City remains dedicated to supporting these vital community groups through any transitions,” Jennifer Flachman, public information officer for the City of Merced said.
City leaders are hoping to arrange a leaseback agreement with high-speed rail authorities that would allow both community organizations to continue operating where they are, Flachman said. Currently, there are no plans to demolish either building.
Considering a permanent relocation, Hsu said relocation funds from officials should cover the construction of a new youth center.
“The High-Speed Rail Authority should provide enough funding for us to build a new youth center with comparable facilities, so we can continue serving youth like we have for decades. If the funds must pass through the City, then the City should ensure the funds are dedicated to this purchase,” Hsu said. She said that a realistic number for construction of a new center could be in the millions of dollars.
A spokesperson for the authority said officials anticipate making a purchase offer to the City before the end of the year. Neither community site is able to access relocation payments until an offer is made, according to the Uniform Relocation Assistance Program.
“We understand the services that both organizations provide are essential and the Authority is working with various local and state elected officials to come up with a suitable solution for relocation,” a spokesperson for the rail authority said.
The authority has spent $1.5 billion on parcels for the project, and is looking to acquire 50 more plots, including the property where the senior and youth centers stand.
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 12:00 PM.