by Michelle Mullen
Summer after summer, the outdoor terrace at Riverdale Senior Services has sat largely unused.
The sprawling outdoor patio’s rubber tiles, long warped by weather and weeds sprouting in cracks, made the space nearly impossible for seniors to navigate safely. Now, with roughly two months left of summer, members are looking forward to planting flora and mingling in fresh air in the newly renovated outdoor plaza.
The transformation is part of a multi-phase renovation project at the center made possible through $350,000 in capital funding secured by Assembly member Jeffrey Dinowitz and Council member Eric Dinowitz. Along with rebuilding the terrace, the latest phase also outfitted the dining room with new furniture designed specifically for older adults, continuing a years-long effort to modernize the facility.
For Nereida Colón, who frequents the facility, the renovated terrace represents more than a cosmetic upgrade.
“We have the ability to come out here, enjoy ourselves, share with others,” Colón said. “It’s really special.”
She recalled that the previous terrace’s uneven surface made it difficult for many members to spend time outside. Now, she said, the expanded space opens new possibilities for the center’s gardening program and the chance for intergenerational activities.
“We all have the ability to do a lot more, growing greens and being able to share with other people, bringing children or teens in here to learn what you can do with your hands if you can’t do it with your brain,” she said.
That vision of the terrace as both a gathering place and an outdoor classroom was central to the renovation.
According to Riverdale Senior Services Executive Director Tina Cardoza-Izquierdo, the project, originally planned for a later phase, was intentionally moved up in the construction schedule so members could begin using it during the warmer months. Once the flooring was complete, staff and members worked side by side selecting and planting flowers throughout the space, giving participants a sense of ownership over the finished garden.
Sandy Levinson, who visits the center about three times each week, remembered when the terrace was little more than an empty concrete space.
“This space was just a space,” Levinson said. “I don’t think there were any flowers, maybe a table or two, just a blank space.”
Now she imagines it becoming another hub for daily life at the center.
“I’m hoping we can use this space for our classes and different programs up here,” she said. “It would be nice even to just come up here and have a snack or have lunch.”
Those programs will include gardening activities led by horticultural therapist Barbara Denson. Among the volunteers eager to help maintain the new gardens is Luciana Peppinella, who has been coming to Riverdale Senior Services for more than a decade.
Peppinella first began attending classes after retiring in 2010. But after losing her husband during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she said the center became far more than a place to pass the time. It became part of her daily routine and a source of community. She still remembers planting lilacs at the center years ago, reminiscing on the sweet smell they left on the terrace, and is excited to volunteer in the new garden beds.
The outdoor improvements coincide with changes inside the building, where a full-fledged renovation of the dining room turned what Peppinella called a “very crowded, very dingy and very dark,” space into one that’s “bright and airy.”
At the heart of the makeover, said Cardoza-Izquierdo, was the chance for older adults to voice what they would like to see in the completed dining room, including new furniture funded by Council member Dinowitz.
“When we ordered the furniture, we did a survey first and foremost of the seniors to see what they would like and what their concerns were,” she said. “One of the things was their seating. The seating was very hard and the height of the tables was a concern.”
For Assembly member Dinowitz, the investment was about ensuring older adults have facilities that match the role they play in the community.
“I think every one of you deserves to be in a nice place,” he said to the older adults during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated space. “I’m just grateful to be able to help a little bit in doing that.”
The terrace and dining room mark the third phase of the renovation project. Previous renovations included a kitchen makeover and repairs in the dining room. Cardoza-Izquierdo said the final stage will focus on the rear of the building, renovating the art room, computer room and workout space.
Keywords
Riverdale Senior Services,
Riverdale,
Bronx seniors,
senior center,
outdoor terrace,
dining room renovation
Comments are closed.