Senior Center Needs Study
The City of Sugar Land provides services to the City's older adults ages 50 years and older through programs and services hosted at the T.E. Harman Center.
Over the last 20 years these services have evolved and grown, and the City of Sugar Land is currently conducting a Senior Center Needs Study to determine the wants and needs of our community's elder population.
Purpose
Membership at the T.E. Harman Center is up 300% since the Center’s relocation in 2011. Attendance at senior programs has also seen significant increases over the past several years with the most popular programs being yoga, dance and language classes.
The rise in memberships and need for a larger space has led us to begin a preliminary study for a new senior adult center that:
- Promotes the health and well-being, social interactions and independence of senior individuals
- Responds to the needs and interests of a diverse population of seniors from different cultural, generational and socioeconomic backgrounds, and with increasingly complex social and physical needs
- Meets the community’s needs within reasonable budget
- Provides reliable cost estimate for funding effort and/or bond election
- Explores funding opportunities and sustainable funding streams
- Creates an amenity that attracts potential businesses and residents
Goals and Objectives
The goals and objectives of the Senior Center Needs study are to:
- Confirm a long term plan for the future of the senior facility / program
- Gather support from senior adults
- Make considerations for future bond elections
- Get City Council consensus on the City’s vision
- Consider alternative solutions (retail space)
Study's Focus Areas
- Current programmable space vs demand
- Existing building opportunities and constraints
- Existing site opportunities and constraints for expansion
- Public input / understanding general community needs (ie transportation)
- Determine unmet needs due to space constraints
- Benchmark best practices for senior programs and facilities
- Analysis of alternative location options
- Cost estimates based on preferred options
Upcoming Open House from 2-4 p.m., Thursday, January 29, 2026
Based on feedback from previous open houses and community surveys, the consultant BRW Architects conducted site selection and programming analyses and explored multiple floor plan options for the T.E. Harman Center. Because key factors such as project budget, the future of the existing building, and potential development of the vacant parcel to the north remain unknown, the study focuses on three conceptual scenarios that address a range of possible conditions. At the upcoming Senior Center Study Open House, the consultant will present these scenarios, share final recommendations, and answer questions from the community.
Previous Open Houses & Surveys
In Summer 2021, a survey was conducted and sent to the public and T.E. Harman Center members to determine space and program needs. Over 570 responses were collected.
The first Open House for the new Senior Center project took place on January 26, 2022. Residents and current T.E. Harman Center members convened at Sugar Land City Hall to hear about the city's demographics, senior population, and existing senior programs at the T.E. Harman Center. A survey was conducted to learn more about wants and needs for the future Senior Center, including trails, amenities, lounge areas, and other desired spaces.
2023 Open House
Our most recent Open House took place at the T.E. Harman Center on July 20, 2023. Participants played the "money game" to prioritize different spaces both inside and outside the future senior adult center.