CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Ajax Turner 50-Plus Center in Clarksville has two months to find a new location after Mayor Joe Pitts ended the nonprofit's lease on its city-owned building on Clark Street.
The center, which has operated out of the building since 1998, received a letter from Pitts in March notifying its board that the lease would end June 30. Parks and Recreation is scheduled to take over the building on July 1.
The organization is currently operating on a $911,956 budget, with $847,198 of that coming from the city of Clarksville.
Board members and an attorney for the nonprofit spoke at Thursday's city council meeting, using all the time reserved for public comment.
Center-appointed board member Lois Greider said, "Why would you do this? This is our 60th year. And it's not a celebration. It feels like a funeral."
The center's attorney addressed the path forward.
"The senior center plans to hopefully keep a clear channel of communication with the mayor, council, and all players involved as the senior center seeks to find a new location," said Kyle Shannon.
Pitts said he has received numerous complaints over the last 18 months and defended the decision to bring the center's operations under city management.
"The organization that runs it doesn't have the budget to do it, so why not? We own the building, fund it, 90% or better, why don't we just bring it in?" Pitts said.
Some board members believe the decision was rushed. City-appointed board member Dr. Gregory Fryer pointed to vacancies on the board as a factor in the center's recent struggles.
"The city is responsible for seven seats on the board. And three have not been filled in the last nine months, and it's been over two years since all those seats have been filled. So, do you really want to disregard 60 years of good service for a couple of bad years?" Fryer said.
Since 2021, the executive director role has gone through multiple changes, including a death in 2021, a retirement, two hires who later stepped down due to serious illness, an interim director, and the current director starting last year.
The organization is looking for storage space to relocate its belongings before the July 1 deadline. Many are asking the mayor to reverse his decision. The center plans to continue talking with the city as the deadline approaches.
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