The Summit: How Grand Prairie created its 'country club for the 50-plus' by Jenifer Milner

When the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, officially opened The Summit Adult Activity Center on June 18, 2010, the community was already deeply engaged with this “senior center of tomorrow” and eager to participate. Efforts to consult and communicate with the public about the new venue had helped create a sense of ownership and anticipation in community members over the years, and the building’s soft opening on May 22 allowed them to finally experience the facility. A flood of visits followed. And by the end of June, less than two weeks after the grand opening, Summit membership stood at about 3,800.

The journey that culminated in The Summit’s opening began years earlier, however, with the City’s decision to replace the existing seniors center. The 8,000-sq.-ft. facility, built in 1987, “couldn’t keep up with the demands of the citizenry due to tremendous growth,” states Rick Herold, director of Grand Prairie Parks and Recreation Department.