An anonymous donor has contributed $2 million toward Horizons’ planned Center for Older Adults, bringing the organization’s $5.5 million capital campaign to 65% of its goal and enabling construction to begin in February 2026.
The 13,000-square-foot facility will mark the return of a dedicated senior center to Cedar Rapids after a 17-year absence. The city’s previous senior center, the Witwer Center, was destroyed in the 2008 flood, and multiple subsequent efforts to restore the community resource failed to materialize.
Horizons plans to renovate its building in the Oak Hill-Jackson neighborhood, an area with the city’s highest concentration of solo agers. The center will feature a large café, fitness studio, library, movie room, three activity spaces and an outdoor pickleball court. Construction is expected to take 12 months.
“This gift moves us from vision to reality,” said Katie Oatsvall, Horizons CEO. “After nearly two decades without a senior center, Cedar Rapids’ older adults will once again have a welcoming place to connect, stay active, and thrive.”
The project responds to demographic data showing that nearly 30% of Linn County residents will be age 55 or older by 2030.
Oatsvall, who joined Horizons last November with more than 12 years of experience in aging services, credited the project’s momentum to the organization’s Board of Directors, a visionary predecessor and a dedicated committee.
She also acknowledged early leadership investments from Hall-Perrine Foundation, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust and TrueNorth.
Horizons, which has a 65-year history of serving individuals and families, is continuing its capital campaign to reach the remaining $1.9 million needed for the project.
More information is available at www.horizonsfamily.org.
