By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

Ellis County Commissioners endorsed a proposal Monday that would relocate the Hays Senior Center to the Frontier Bingo building at 2450 E. Eighth.

Frontier Bingo was one of three top choices evaluated by senior center leaders, including Director Alice Herrman.

"The Frontier Bingo would probably be the one that would be most ready to move into," Herrman said.

She and other leaders of the center also will present the proposal to the Hays City Commission at a future meeting because the city and county each pay half of the rent on the center's current location in the Hadley Center.

The rent was increased at the Hadley Center for the senior center's new lease, which takes effect Jan. 1. They would have been expected to pay $34,000 per year for the 4,000-square-foot facility had they been allowed to stay. The James Building, where the center is located, is due for demolition for use as a parking lot or garage.

Rent on the 5,586-square-foot Frontier Bingo is estimated at $27,600 per year plus utilities, which are expected to be about $180 per month.

"My only concern is the distance out there, and I think maybe they'll adjust to it," Herrman said. "We have a few people riding the Access van, and they will go out there."

Commission Chairman Dennis Pfannenstiel said the distance factor is why he would like to enter into the minimum lease, three years, with property owner Mark Linenberger.

"I would be in favor of a three-year trial and then after three years, we're going to know if the seniors are going to use it," Pfannenstiel said.

Frontier Bingo is home to two organizations' bingo nights on the weekends, but Linenberger said they might be able to co-exist in the building with the senior center, or they could be moved over to the adjacent Fanchon Ballroom.

The building already is equipped with a kitchen, tables, chairs and a bingo machine, all of which the senior center could use. A larger office will have to be partitioned off on the north side of the building, but handicapped-accessible restrooms are in place.

"They've already got it scoped out where they want their pool table and card tables in our smoke room," Linenberger said.

The building also provides a dance floor, which could be beneficial, according to Bill Moriarity, chairman of the Ellis County Council on Aging, which oversees the center.

"There might be a time in the future when that could add to the (programming)," Moriarity said.

Herrman said two organizations, Weight Watchers and a bridge club, also use the James Building on some afternoons and evenings.

"They have said that they would definitely be willing to come out there and use our facility," Herrman said.

Mike Sack, vice president of the Hays Senior Center, said the center would need about $8,000 more to cover the new expenses associated with the building, and commissioners said they likely would be able to find the money to fund them.

Despite Frontier Bingo being located outside Hays city limits, Pfannenstiel said he didn't think the city should have a problem funding it.

"The county funded it inside the city limits, so I can't see them having a problem going outside," Pfannenstiel said.

One option dismissed by senior center leaders that had drawn a lot of public discussion was the possibility of using the former Army Reserve building.

"It would take quite a bit of remodeling," Moriarity said. "You'd have to have the bathroom redone and some of the walls removed. It just looked like a big, big project to try to remodel."

Other options included Taco Express at 27th and Vine streets, the Hamm building next to Gella's on 11th Street, the Werth building on Seventh Street behind Auto World, Roma's on 13th and Canterbury, the Golden Ox Pavilion on Cody Avenue and a spot in Eagle Plaza.

Some buildings were ruled out because they weren't large enough, and some didn't provide adequate parking for the senior center's needs.