The Hollin Hall Senior Center reopened its Fort Hunt-based facility Feb. 7 for the first time in nearly two years.
Initially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior center underwent renovations starting in March 2021 and was still in construction mode when most other Fairfax County Senior Centers reopened in September.
According to center director Alexa Fuerth, the Hollin Hall facility’s upgrades include new motion-sensor lighting, paint touch-ups, updated restrooms with touchless faucets, and renovations for Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessibility, including more easily accessible water fountains, ADA-accessible push pads for easy access to hallways and restrooms, and tactile paving on sidewalks for visitors who are vision impaired
The senior center — which offers a vast array of classes and recreational/socializing opportunities for people ages 50 and above — will remain in a “soft opening” phase until March, when it officially kicks off its new three-month calendar of programming, said Fuerth. To use the center’s facilities, residents need to meet eligibility requirements and pay annual membership fees, which range from $24 to $48 for Fairfax County residents, based on household income. Non-county residents may purchase a membership for $100 per year. Members may use any senior center in Fairfax County.
In the first couple of days after the facility’s reopening, around 60 people per day were registering for new annual memberships, but those numbers have been trickling off a bit, said Fuerth, so she wants to make sure everyone knows the center is up and running. During a tour of the facility, she pointed out several classrooms, the genealogy library, fitness room, computer lab, dedicated art room, lunch area, garden beds and “Cozy Corner,” where members can hang out and socialize.
“It’s a great place to get reconnected — get fit, get engaged and socialize,” said Fuerth.
While the physical facility itself only recently reopened, the staff and volunteer instructors at Hollin Hall Senior Center maintained an important virtual support presence for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, making wellness calls, participating in vaccination clinics and holding virtual classes. One of the volunteer fitness instructors was effusive in her praise for the center’s staff.
“What they did to keep people engaged during the pandemic was nothing short of amazing,” she said.
Because some area residents may not feel comfortable returning to the senior center in-person just yet, Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services will continue to offer virtual programming.
Hollin Hall Senior Center, located at 1500 Shenandoah Road in Alexandria, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, but will be closed on Mon., Feb. 21 for Presidents’ Day. Members are currently required to wear masks in the facility but are not required to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Staff and volunteers are required to be vaccinated, however.
