Broken Arrow's Senior Center Stays on Both Sides of Main Street This Winter, and Probably Longer

The Broken Arrow Senior Center sits at two addresses on South Main Street. The older West building is at 1800 S. Main, and the East Annex faces it across the street at 1811 S. Main. Members cross Main Street to get from one to the other. In April, voters approved $18 million to bring everything together in one facility.

The city's first round of bond sales under the 2026 package pays for projects elsewhere in Broken Arrow, so the two-building setup continues through this winter and into next year. If you're a member, or you help a parent who is, it pays to know which building handles what.

The $18 million is approved, but it isn't in this year's sale

Broken Arrow voters approved all seven propositions of the 2026 General Obligation Bond on April 7, 2026. Proposition 4, Public Facilities, passed with 66 percent approval, and its first named project is a Senior Center Expansion/Renovation at $18,000,000.

Approval doesn't put the full amount in hand. The city sells the bonds in yearly batches over roughly a decade. Each sale is sized by the assessed value of property in city limits, and streets and public safety get priority.

The first batch is the $14.75 million Series 2026B. The City Council authorized it on Oct. 6, 2026, and it went out for bids on Nov. 3. According to the city's FY27 project list, this is how the Proposition 4 share is divided:

The companion 2026C sale goes to stormwater and drainage work, including the NEEDA Pond and the Haikey Creek Basin. Because sales happen once a year, the earliest the Senior Center could draw bond money is a later annual sale. Its year will come out of the city's reconciliation of all 94 projects against expected property tax revenue.

Why the city wanted one roof

The reasons behind the expansion tell you what to expect while you wait for it. A January 2026 city profile of the center counted more than 3,400 members, more than 119 activities a week, and more than 500 people served each day, five days a week. According to that profile, membership doubled after the Annex was built.

Then-Executive Director Annie Bast described the trade-off in that same city profile:

"It makes it kind of difficult because we're separated. The building on the west side is much older and comes with its share of problems, as all old buildings do. There are leaks and problems with the plumbing and A/C that we're constantly dealing with. The Annex is on the east side of Main Street. It was built a couple of years ago, and this one is great!"

The profile also noted her concern about seniors crossing the street between buildings. The bond plan answers that with a new addition to the East Annex so the center can run from one facility. Before the vote, the Broken Arrow Sentinel reported that the city preferred to expand the Annex rather than put heavy investment into the aging West building.

So the crossing, and the older building on the west side, are part of the routine this winter.

Which side of Main Street you need this winter

Some center business is already shifting east. The November newsletter, which lists Traci Druten as executive director, points to three things that each depend on a particular building.

• Joining for the first time: You can start the registration online, but new memberships have to be finished in person at the main office in the West building, 1800 S. Main.
• The Medicare Fair: The annual fair has moved to the East Annex, 1811 S. Main. It runs Nov. 5 through Dec. 4 from 12:30 to 3 p.m., with a team on hand to answer questions.
• Accessible parking: Handicap parking is on the east and south sides of the West building and the east side of the East building.

If you're dropping a parent off, knowing the destination ahead of time means you can park on the right side and skip the extra crossing.

The resident rate is twice what January's profile quoted

In the January city profile, membership was $40 a year for unlimited access to activities. Since July 1, 2026, Broken Arrow Seniors charges $80 a year for Broken Arrow residents and $105 for non-residents.

Renewals can be handled online. The center is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and stays open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Those two late evenings are the easiest time for working adult children to visit with a parent or come in for a tour.

For the $80, the class lineup covers bingo, mahjongg, pickleball, shuffleboard and pool. Fitness choices include yoga, Tai Chi Balance, tap, Zumba, line dancing, cardio drumming and chair yoga, and arts groups include painting, quilting, crochet, photography and music. In January, the city profile named drumming as the most popular class, with 78 regular attendees, and said yoga classes were close behind.

Lunch takes 100 reservations a day and needs 24 hours' notice

Lunch is where the center's size matters most day to day. The center served more than 500 people a day in January. The weekday lunch, run through the Tulsa & Creek County Senior Nutrition Program, is capped at 100 reservations a day.

Here's how lunch works:

1. Enroll in the nutrition program. Senior Center membership isn't required, but enrollment is.
2. Reserve your meal at least 24 hours ahead.
3. Arrive for service Monday through Friday, 11:15 a.m. to noon.
4. The suggested donation is $3.

The center also offers free transportation to members 55 and older within a limited service area. Rides have to be arranged ahead of time. For a parent who no longer drives, a ride and a lunch reservation together can cover a full weekday, as long as both are booked in advance.

The calendar through December

The November newsletter lays out the schedule through December. The Medicare Fair and the harmonica workshop both start Nov. 5 and continue into December.

The same issue congratulates the winners of the 4th Annual Great Ladle Throwdown. Central States Research took Judge's Grand Champion, the Pickleball Ladle Masters won People's Choice, and Harmon Insurance and Wanderfilled Journeys took second and third with the judges.

Questions about joining, rides or lunch go to the center's office at 918-259-8377.

When you're helping a parent decide where to live next, how close they'd be to places like the Senior Center on South Main often matters as much as the house. I'm glad to talk through that with you and your family, at whatever pace feels right. Let's Connect with Joanna Ford.