Dexter Community Schools Signs Letters of Intent related to New Community and Senior Centers

Dexter Community Schools is moving forward with its plan to create a Multigenerational Community Center and Senior Center project.

The DCS Board of Education approved decisions related to the project at its March 4 meeting.

The decisions saw the school board approving a Letter of Intent for Purchase of the Dexter Wellness Center and Equipment; a Letter of Intent for Purchase of a Newly Constructed Dexter Senior Center and a Resolution Approving the Multigenerational Community Center Project.

The plan is to turn the Wellness Center, at 2810 Baker Road, into a community center and then also build a separate Senior Center building on the vacant land that is just across the parking lot to the Wellness Center and on Baker Road.

To help pay for this, DCS is the recipient of an $8.5 million dollar allocation from the state of Michigan budget to acquire, construct, renovate, and establish a program for a senior center and community center.

The Sun Times News (STN) followed up with school board president Mara Greatorex.

“We are excited to be able to move forward with the process and finally get the seniors a place of their own that they have been able to design to their needs!” Greatorex said.

With the Letter of Intent for Purchase of the Dexter Wellness Center and Equipment, DCS officials said they have been working with district attorneys and 5 Healthy Towns to purchase the Dexter Wellness Center and equipment. According to the board documents, the letter of intent (LOI) outlines the details of the project and an agreement for purchase of the facility and its equipment as soon as the necessary due diligence process is complete (i.e., soil testing, etc). This purchase will be paid for from a combination of the $8.5 million senior and community center grant and any future grant funds (i.e., federal community project funding requests, etc). The LOI, previously discussed at the February 26, 2024 meeting, will allow the purchase process to move forward.

With the Letter of Intent for Purchase of a Newly Constructed Dexter Senior Center, DCS officials said “DCS has been working with district attorneys, the Dexter Senior Center, and A.R. Brouwer/BST to purchase a newly-constructed, approximately 8,000 - 10,000 sq ft Dexter Senior Center building located on the available lot on Baker Road at the entrance to the Dexter Wellness Center. This evening’s packet includes a draft letter of intent (LOI) which outlines details of the project and agreement for purchase to begin the construction. The purchase will be paid for from a combination of the $8.5 million senior and community center grant, grant funds provided to the Dexter Senior Center from Washtenaw County, and any future grant funds (i.e., federal community project funding requests, etc). This LOI, previously discussed at the February 26, 2024 meeting, will allow the construction to be started and completed in a timely fashion to provide a new and permanent home to the Dexter Senior Center.”

And as far as the Resolution Approving the Multigenerational Community Center Project, a big part of that approval was providing authorization to the Superintendent, Senior Project Manager, and/or Chief Financial Officer to sign the necessary documents as the process continues.

STN asked Greatorex about the potential ongoing costs for both facilities.

“As for the community center and senior center‑--both will operate independently of the schools budget,” Greatorex said. “The seniors have always funded their center and the programs they run on their own. As for the Wellness Center, the district has looked at the operating budgets provided for us by 5 Healthy Towns. No money from the district’s budget will be used as that money is only intended for K-12 education.”

It was announced last July that following this year’s state budget process, local legislators were able to bring home a higher-than-anticipated budget item for FY 2024 that will allow the development of a multigenerational center in the Dexter community. The school district boundaries are being used to define the “Dexter community,” so therefore the school district taken the lead in bringing this project to fruition.

DCS serves students and the community throughout an 84-square-mile school district in both Washtenaw and Livingston counties. The district boundaries encompass the city of Dexter plus parts of 8 other townships including Dexter Township, Webster Township, Scio Township, Northfield Township, Hamburg Township, Lima Township, Freedom Township and Lodi Township.