With design work now complete, construction is ready to begin for a new senior center in Downtown Inglewood.

The project, which was designed by gkkworks and based on design concepts from Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio (GP-US), will consist of a two-story building located at the corner of Locust and Queen Streets.  Plans call for a lunch program, exercise facilities, communal gathering spaces and social services for residents of Inglewood and the neighboring communities of Hawthorne and Lennox.

Renderings portray a contemporary low-rise structure, featuring windows and skylights that provide views into the building.  The same openness is further communicated by the center's main entrance, which will create an "entry carpet" through the use of similar patterns and materials to those of its interior.

Other notable features include an original piece from Los Angeles-based artist Susan Narduli, which will be displayed in the building's lobby.

The 35,000-square-foot facility, which has been in the works for more than 13 years, was crafted through a number of meetings with local seniors to receive input on both the design of the center and the type of programming it would offer.  It replaces a smaller building which was built in 1975.

The project was funded through an HUD Economic Development Iitiative Grant and a Community Development Block Grant.

Other members of the Inglewood senior center's architectural and construction management include gkkworks, Pinner Construction and the City of Inglewood.