Dallas seniors who successfully pushed back against a proposal to close four city recreation centers say they aren’t celebrating yet
For many older residents, the centers are more than places to exercise or play cards. They’re where they share a hot meal, manage chronic health conditions, build friendships and escape the isolation of living alone
The Parks Department proposed closing Arcadia, Umphress, Teen Tech and Marcus Annex recreation centers in May after City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert directed departments to reduce spending to help close a projected $51 million budget gap
Article continues below this ad
When Becky Baird learned Marcus Annex Senior Center was on the chopping block, she and other residents organized to save it
Baird, who has attended the center since 2022, encouraged the group’s most confident speakers to testify before the Park and Recreation Board.
“I was distressed by the idea of losing the center, frustrated that the city would target some of the most vulnerable members of our community and determined to defend the center because of how vital it is for all of us,” Baird said
Keshia Randle, assistant director of recreation services, said the four centers were identified through a review of attendance and program enrollment and were considered a last-resort option
Article continues below this ad
After hearing hours of public testimony, the park board agreed to remove the four centers from the proposed cuts and directed staff to find roughly $1 million in savings elsewhere
Park Board member JR Huerta says recreation centers and frontline services should never be part of budget-cut discussions because residents depend on them.
Huerta said the city should look more closely at upper- and middle-management costs before cutting programs residents rely on
Glenda Carter, 78, who attends the Umphress center, said after working, paying taxes and raising families, seniors deserve places where they can remain active, connected and engaged in their communities
“It’s the minimum they can do for all of us,” Carter said
Article continues below this ad
A safe place
Through a Dallas County partnership, the Marcus Annex Senior Center, in North Dallas, provides free weekday lunches.
The center also offers exercise classes, chair yoga, discussion groups and wellness programs
The city spends about $100,000 a year to operate the facility and employ two full-time staff members. Marcus Annex recorded 5,206 visits during the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to city data
Related:Dallas audit finds major oversight gaps after transportation, public works merger
Article continues below this ad
“The little jewel is for some their primaryhey receive that day,” said Barbara Rafalik, the community center assistant who also participates in many of the activities
‘Little escape’
In Pleasant Grove, some seniors at Umphress Recreation Center said they were surprised to learn their center had been considered for closure
Bertha García, 83, walks to the center every day because she doesn’t drive. She enjoys gardening, bingo and spending time with friends. She worries a closure would leave her isolated at home
Article continues below this ad
“This is my little escape,” she said. “It’s where I feel productive and where I can learn new things.”
Greg Boyd, 68, said he wasn’t surprised the center was targeted because he believes the city has long neglected it.
Unlike Marcus Annex, where Dallas County provides daily meals, seniors at Umphress organize potluck lunches, buy bingo prizes with their own money and donate tools for the community garden
“When I learned about the possibility of shutting down the center, I just thought, ‘City of Dallas leadership failure on display,’” Boyd said. “But I’m glad that, for now, we’re safe.”
Umphress doesn’t participate in the Dallas County meal program because it lacks the commercial kitchen and other food preparation facilities required by the county, city officials said
Article continues below this ad
The center costs about $120,500 annually to operate and employs one full-time and two part-time staff members. It recorded 4,070 visits during the 2024-25 fiscal year
Teens and children facilities
The other two facilities considered for closure, Arcadia Recreation Centerand the Teen Tech Center at the Juanita Craft Recreation Center, primarily serve children and teenagers
Arcadia hosts summer camps and after-school programming, while the Teen Tech Center offers classes in coding, photography, podcasting and audio production.
The Teen Tech Center, which opened through a partnership with Best Buy in 2016, is seeking a new sponsor after that partnership ends this fiscal year
