Senior Center Needs Study

The City of Sugar Land provides services to the City's older adults ages 50 years and up through programs and services hosted at the T.E. Harman Center. 

Over the last 20 years these services have evolved and grown, and the City of Sugar Land is currently conducting a Senior Center Needs Study to determine the wants and needs of our community's elder population.


TE Harman Center - Exterior

Public Input Open House

Thank you to all who joined us at the Senior Center Study Open House on January 26. Watch this page for further updates on the Senior Center Needs Study. 

Purpose

The purpose of the Senior Center Needs study is to provide a preliminary study on a new senior center that:

  1. Promotes the health and well-being, social interactions and independence of senior individuals
  2. Responds to the needs and interests of a diverse population of seniors from different cultural, generational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and with increasingly complex social and physical needs
  3. Meets the community’s needs within reasonable budget
  4. Provides reliable cost estimate for funding effort and/or bond election
  5. Explores funding opportunities and sustainable funding streams
  6. Creates an amenity that attracts potential businesses and residents

Current Membership

Membership at the T.E. Harman Center is up 300% since the Center’s relocation in 2011. Attendance at senior programs has also seen significant increases over the past several years with the most popular programs being yoga, dance and language classes.

Goals and Objectives

The goals and objectives of the Senior Center Needs study are to:

  • Confirm a long term plan for the future of the senior facility / program
  • Gather support from senior adults
  • Make considerations for future bond elections
  • Get City Council consensus on the City’s vision     
  • Consider alternative solutions (retail space)

Study's Focus Areas

  • Current programmable space vs demand
  • Existing building opportunities and constraints
  • Existing site opportunities and constraints for expansion 
  • Public input / understanding general community needs (ie transportation)   
  • Determine unmet needs due to space constraints
  • Benchmark best practices for senior programs and facilities 
  • Analysis of alternative location options
  • Cost estimates based on preferred options
TE Harman Center