McGovern Park closure; Milwaukee seniors push for answers

McGovern Park closure; seniors push for answers

For more than two months, the McGovern Park Senior Center has sat empty, leaving Milwaukee?s north side seniors with nowhere to gather ? and no answers on when they can return.

MILWAUKEE - For more than two months, the McGovern Park Senior Center has sat empty, leaving Milwaukee’s north side seniors with nowhere to gather – and no answers on when they can return.

What we know:

The center first closed in August after historic flooding. In September, Milwaukee County’s Department of Health and Human Services reported that inspectors found mold and unsafe air quality inside. 

County officials say the center will remain closed "indefinitely."

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It’s an answer too vague for seniors.

What they're saying:

"We’re just speculating. Is it going to open, is it not going to open, what day is it going to open?" said Shirley Hassel. "We are seniors. We’re not slow. So you can come here and talk to us and tell us something." 

Julia Cooper-Felts, another longtime visitor, said the silence feels like a betrayal.

"I worked all my life and this is what I get? I don’t appreciate it," she said.

With McGovern closed, many seniors have been forced to attend one of the county’s four other centers. But the travel is inconvenient, especially with winter approaching, and some say the other facilities are already overcrowded.

"I’m not driving this far to come here for a couple of hours because we don’t spend as many hours here as we did at McGovern because that was our home," Hassel said. "I miss getting together. I miss seeing the people that I saw every day."

"We need space," Cooper-Felts added. "Because people started coming. Folks we haven’t seen came today. So the more they come we are going to be in a tight spot."

Big picture view:

For the women, the center is more than a building – it’s a source of community and support. They worry for their friends they haven’t seen since August.

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"We need a building. I don’t have no home, or anywhere to go," Cooper-Felts said.

County officials have not provided a timeline for reopening. A listening session on the county budget is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Clinton Rose Center. 

‘Seniors who rely on McGovern say they plan to attend and press for answers.