By Michele Robertson
Carlsbad is getting a new walking path and outdoor recreation area. Carlsbad’s designation as an Age Friendly Community in 2017 has already brought added quality of life experiences for its residents and visitors. And in that spirit, the Alejandro Ruiz Senior Center, located at 120 Kircher Street, is undergoing improvements.
A new parking area has been completed, and the area is undergoing more renovations under Phase 1 of upgrades. During Phases 2 and 3, a walking path and outdoor recreation area will be added to promote increased health and wellness within the community as well as provide exercise in a safe and durable space.
Angie Barrios-Testa, MBA, Director of Grant Programs for the City of Carlsbad, shared insights into the upcoming changes. A $200,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) will have a match from the city for another $200,000, with an additional matching amount of $200,000 from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (NMDFA) providing a total of $600,000 for the project. The City opted to match funds, even though the needed match was granted from NMDFA, due to the likely need for additional funding since the project was last estimated.
“The park will be open to the public, not just the seniors. The workout equipment will be targeted towards seniors and weather resistant,” Testa said. There will be outside access for the public to enjoy the outdoor space and access from inside the building that seniors who frequent the center will be able to utilize. The park will have hours like any other park in the community and will feature a quarter-mile walking path with natural landscaping, including trees and a shaded area for workout equipment.
“The park will offer more outdoor opportunities for the community in the south part of town,” Testa said. “There are many houses in the area with families that will benefit from the park,” she added. This will be a park for people of all ages and abilities.
It has been a lengthy process to get the grant applied for in 2021 that went to the City Council in April 2024 for acceptance. Many aspects were taken into consideration in obtaining the grant. Site visits, environmental clearances, and clearance from the Carlsbad Irrigation District were all a part of the application. Now, the official planning stages begin, which will take around six months to complete, with at least another 12-18 months for construction.
“It’s a long process, but worth it. The work being done adds to and enhances the community,” said Testa.
“This is a way to keep seniors healthy. It provides a safe walking area and helps seniors walk as far as they can, increasing their mobility and getting them outside, rather than always being inside,” said Amparo Vasquez, Alejandro Ruiz Senior Center Director.
Lionel Munoz, who works as the activities assistant at the center, said, “It will be very helpful to get the track outside,” adding, in the mornings, when the walking group is actively walking indoors, they put in about a mile each day, but that having the quarter-mile walking path will make it easier to keep track of participants’ mileage since the current distances are only estimates.
The Alejandro Ruiz Senior Center offers a multitude of services and activities for its members, as well as onsite meals from the SNMCAC (Southeast New Mexico Community Action Corporation) and 200 meals delivered daily to homebound seniors in Carlsbad, Otis, Loving, and Malaga. Membership is free, but you must be 40 years or older to join. Carlsbad is fortunate to have two senior center facilities, providing different services and activities for their members, and a third is under construction near the Cascades.
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