New Merkel House opens in new location

The new home of the New Merkel House opened last month in Cahaba Heights, offering senior citizens more space for activities and gatherings, as well as more outdoor opportunities, as it is next door to Cahaba Heights Park behind Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights.

City Manager Jeff Downes said after a slight delay on the project due to weather and supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior center opened about 30 days behind schedule in early April.

Downes said the new space offers opportunities for creative programming, which will be needed during the pandemic, and alleviates problems at the previous home next to the school. Because the previous structure was formerly used as a residence, it was separated into small, numerous rooms and wasn’t as functional as it needed to be.

New Merkel House Director Melanie Perry said she doesn’t have any programming planned, with many activities shut down as a result of the pandemic. Perry said she is following guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and hopes there will be some sense of “normalcy” soon.

The new building has one story instead of two, and the size of the meeting space is doubled. There are also offices and an additional room for programs.

Having a central place for the city’s senior citizens to congregate is important to many people in the city, Downes previously said.

“We’ve done many, many surveys, and all point to a need for more adult activities,” Downes said.

The new building will also allow visitors not only to continue to interact with students at nearby Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights, but also to interact with those at the ballfields at Cahaba Heights Park.

“I think it creates a nice opportunity for seniors to co-mingle with the youth,” Downes said.