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Across the street from the Anchor Bank in Farmington, the old city hall building sat vacant one Thursday morning, a sprinkling of rain running down its weathered bricks.

City employees had long since moved into a new building down the block, leaving the 40-year-old structure locked, dark and unused for almost three months. But after years housing the City Council and staff, the building is on its way to serving a new crowd: the city's "55-and-better" population.

Council members on Nov. 3 approved a proposal to move the city's senior center, the Rambling River Center, from downtown Farmington up the block to the old city hall. The move would double the center's space, allowing the city to expand its programming and better serve the center's 520 members, city employees said.

Renovations to the old city hall could cost $500,000, and the city hasn't yet identified a funding source.

Missie Kohlbeck, senior center coordinator for Rambling River, said members are excited about moving into a new building. The current building, on 3rd Street across from the new city hall, was built in 1923.

"We have loved this space," she said. "It has served us very well, but the opportunity to grow is there with the old city hall."

The center's current 6,000-square-foot building is long and narrow, with rooms separated by thin partitions. It's easy to hear what's going on in other rooms, Kohlbeck said, which has been a concern for members when programming overlaps. Not having enough room for classes has also been difficult.

"I don't think we're serving [members] to the best of our abilities if they leave because it's too crowded. It's important for them to network socially and do something physically just to stay healthy," she said. "It's much healthier to be here with a bunch of people moving than to be isolated at home."

Council Member Christy Jo Fogarty said the council had been talking about what to do with the old city hall during the construction of the new one. The council held two workshops in August and October and discussed options with interested residents.

"We believe in the Rambling River Center. We believe in the programming they're doing. This is an opportunity to expand something we see as a gem in our downtown," Fogarty said.

Fogarty was one of three council members who voted to move the center; Council Member Steve Wilson was absent and Mayor Kevan Soderberg voted against the proposal.

Soderberg said he was concerned that the council did not have all the information it needed to make a decision. The city hadn't identified a budget or a source of funding or done a feasibility study, he said, all typical procedures for projects in the past.

"I felt it was too premature to make that decision," Soderberg said.

City employees have suggested recruiting volunteers to keep project costs down. Renovations would include installing a sprinkler system and upgrading the fire alarms, among other improvements.

Although the city has not set a timeline for the senior center move or what to do with the existing center building, the city will be determining a more concrete budget, identifying funding and hiring a construction manager in the coming months.

Kohlbeck said the need for a bigger Rambling River Center is evident. One of the fastest growing age groups is baby boomers, she said, and by 2030, there will be 1.2 million people over age 65 in Minnesota -- that's one out of four Minnesotans based on population projections.

Farmington is a young community, she explained, and the city has focused on youth and schools. But 22 years from now, today's kindergartners will be out of college.

"I don't know if people think that way. I have small children and want the best schools for them as well, but we need to plan for the future a little bit," she said. "We're going to have a lot of people over the age of 65."

Jeannine Aquino • 952-882-9056