CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Ajax Turner 50+ Center, a second home for 1,400 older adults in and around Clarksville, is at risk of losing its lease.
Mayor Joe Pitts plans to end the nonprofit's lease of the city-owned building at the end of June and put the Parks and Recreation Department in charge.
Pitts cited health and safety concerns in public meetings, but many who rely on the center say the decision does not make sense.
In a letter sent March 20 to the board chair, Pitts said the City of Clarksville is terminating the lease after nearly three decades.
"There's a lot of questions that haven't been answered yet about it. I'm just hoping it'll work out the best for everybody here," said Patrick Meek, a member.
Lois Greider is frustrated.
"Just let us grow old and enjoy it," Greider said.
In mid-April, Greider was appointed by the center to one of two board seats it can fill. The city appoints the other seven, three of which are currently vacant.
Greider has attended city meetings where the mayor stated the Parks and Recreation Department will take over the building and programming on July 1, 2026, and that staff can reapply for their jobs. But she says the move still feels sudden, with no conversations and no warning.
"But now, that he's tried to sneak this through without anybody knowing about it, I'll be honest with you, the trust in that administration is gone," Greider said.
The mayor's office
I figured the best place to get answers was the mayor’s office. When told that center representatives said there were no conversations about the takeover, Mayor Pitts disagreed.
"Well, that's a he-said-she-said. I'm not going to get into that. But they know the truth," Pitts said.
During an April 2 city meeting, Pitts pushed back against claims that the move was a secret, stating he informed the board of directors several weeks prior and planned to meet with employees and members.
"Which should dispel some of the deliberate misinformation these members have been given," Pitts said at that meeting.
For more than a year, Pitts told me he has been personally taking complaints about upkeep and staff turnover. The city owns the building and provides nearly 90% of the organization's funding.
"They've had considerable turnover with staff and board members; there are some concerns that I have with the cleanliness and safety of the building," Pitts said in our interview.
But the more I asked, the more the takeover still did not make sense, and it felt like we were talking in circles.
"We have staff turnover, management turnover. We have a fiscal director. We've made recommendations on how to keep their books to make sure they're in compliance," Pitts said when I asked him to elaborate on health and safety issues.
City records
I requested public records, including inspection reports, health and safety assessments, work orders, and city emails, to determine whether any documented issues existed. I also got the lease agreement, which shows no new lease has been signed since 1998, and it remains in effect today.
The document that stood out the most was a 50-page city safety audit citing potential OSHA violations after an inspection March 2.
After reviewing it, I asked the executive director, Rita Allsop, what she knew about it. In an earlier interview, before I had the report, she said the only visit from the city this year was to introduce IT and maintenance staff to the facility. She now believes that the visit may have taken place under different pretenses.
"The first time they came was for showing the IT all the room, any kind of system we had in the building, and was explaining things to them," Allsop said.
We asked the city to clarify the purpose of the visit, who conducted it, and whether any findings were shared with the facility. In response, a spokesperson said, “Thanks for reaching out. I forwarded your inquiry on, and we have no further comment at this time.”
What's next
Since it is a city building, the city is responsible for making repairs identified in the safety audit. According to the executive director, much of the equipment and infrastructure flagged in the inspection was installed or owned by the city itself.
The center is working with an attorney to explore its options, including whether it can keep its belongings. It is also looking at whether the City Council can stop the transfer, though its attorneys say they have been told by the city they cannot speak with council members.
"I've asked several questions and lots of those never get answered," Allsop said. "You have 1,400 people who do not want this to go under the city. They are happy with the way things are."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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