High Trestle Trail Extension With Overpass On Oralabor Road
The capital improvement plan also includes phase two for an existing expansion project of the High Trestle Trail in Ankeny.
In 2020, the city extended the trail from Ordinance Road southeast to Magazine Road, including a tunnel under Highway 69.
Phase two would cost $2.7 million and includes extending the trail an additional 1.65 miles from Southeast Magazine Road to the Gay Lea Wilson Trail, which includes constructing an overpass over Southeast Oralabor Road.
The overpass will be up for bid this spring, and, pending the results, construction would begin in 2021 and be completed in 2022.
About The Albaugh Family Senior Community Center
The City of Ankeny and the Polk County Board of Supervisors broke ground on the new Albaugh Family Senior Community Center on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020 in the city of Ankeny. This 39,000 square foot facility is expected to be completed late 2021.
Location
The new facility will be built on the Ankeny City campus next to the Fire Station Headquarters on NW Ash Street. Address is 150 NW Ash Street.
Programming
With a focus on seniors, the Albaugh Family Senior Community Center will offer a large community center, classrooms, indoor walking track, pickleball courts, golf/sports simulator, exercise area and raised shuffle boards. Polk County will use the facility to provide senior services consistent with its other metropolitan area facilities including daily meals, health screenings, wellness and recreational opportunities and other senior-oriented services. The City will offer programming at the center on the evenings and weekends for residents of all ages. The walking track and amenities on the second floor will be available to Ankeny residents whenever the facility is open.
Project Partners
Major Donors
Susan and Dennis Albaugh are gifting $500,000 toward the Citys new senior community center granting them naming rights to the facility.
New Senior Community Center To Open In Ankeny
9 months ago in Local
The new facility is a collaboration between the City and Polk County Photo: Saga Communications
From the City of Ankeny:
The City of Ankeny and Polk County Board of Supervisors invite the community to a grand opening celebration for the new Albaugh Family Senior Community Center. The event will take place Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, at 3 p.m. with a short program and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:15 p.m. at 150 NW Ash Street in Ankeny. The new facility will open to the public on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021, at 6:30 a.m.
The Albaugh Community Center is a partnership between the City of Ankeny and the Polk County Board of Supervisors. With a focus on seniors, the new facility will offer a large community center, classrooms, indoor walking track, pickleball courts, golf/sports simulator, exercise area, and raised shuffleboards. Polk County will use the facility to provide senior services consistent with its other metropolitan area facilities including daily meals, health screenings, wellness and recreational opportunities, and other senior-oriented services. The City will offer programming for residents of all ages. The walking track and amenities on the second floor will be available to Ankeny residents whenever the facility is open.
Additional information about the new Albaugh Community Center can be found at www.ankenyiowa.gov/AlbaughCommunityCenter.
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Northwest 18th Street Extension
What is currently a gravel road traveling west from Northwest Weigel Drive to Northwest Spruce Drive will be replaced with a 41-foot wide concrete street.
The $5.9 million extension will also include an 8-foot-wide sidewalk on the road’s south side, a sanitary sewer, a storm sewer, a water main, street lighting, fiber optics, landscaping and signage.
The street and public utility extensions will support the anticipated development in the northwest quadrant of Ankeny according to the planning document.
The planning document also lists a second phase for the extension that would connect Northwest Spruce Drive to Highway 415.
Construction for phase one is slated to begin in 2021, with hopes to finish it within the year. Phase two is not scheduled to begin until 2025.
An Independence Village Story
For a closer look at what its like to be a part of the Independence Village family, take a look at what a residents family member had to say about their experience at Independence Village of Ankeny:
We moved Mother to Independence Village of Ankeny three years ago. At that time, she fit perfectly in assisted care. Recently, as her memory has gotten progressively worse, she moved to the memory care neighborhood.
The staff at Independence Village is amazing. They know our family by name and are always ready to help with everything. It gives our family great comfort knowing that Mom is treated with love and dignity in her later years of life. From the maintenance man to the chef, to the front office workers, to the caregivers, they all work as a team and are ready to help no matter what we ask. We highly recommend Independence Village of Ankeny! Residents Family Member
For more information about how Independence Village of Ankeny and its commitment to providing experiences like this one, call to speak to the community today.
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What Is Available To Members
Those with a membership to the community center can access its various amenities, many of which are on the second floor, including: an indoor track fitness equipment such as ellipticals, recumbent bikes, dumbbells, a basketball court, volleyball and pickleball options, and shuffleboard and other activities. Classes and leagues will come with additional fees. A full list of possibilities is available on the center’s website.
Ankeny Fire Station Four
As Ankeny continues to experience exponential residential growth, the city has included plans for a fourth fire station in its capital improvement program.
A definite location for the new station has not been determined, but it is targeted for the city’s northwest side, where travel times for emergency vehicles are estimated to increase with the rise of the area’s development.
In 2021, the improvement program says it plans to spend $145,000 for land acquisition and $5,000 for a planning study. Design and construction is estimated to be completed within the next five years.
Melody Mercado covers the eastern Des Moines metro for the Register. Reach her at or Twitter @melodymercadotv.
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Its All About Community: Senior Living In Ankeny Iowa
Whether youre eighteen, in your eighties or somewhere in between, everyone wants to know that they belong, they matter, and they are cared about by those around them.
Thats what youll find in the growing city of Ankeny, Iowa. And for those searching for senior living in Ankeny, Iowa, Independence Village of Ankeny offers personalized assisted living, memory care and the same warm welcome.
Ankeny Opens New Albaugh Family Community Center
ANKENY, Iowa The City of Ankeny and a couple hundred people formally opened the new Albaugh Family Senior Community Center on Monday. After years of discussion and planning, the new center was built at 150 NW Ash Drive near the bandshell and fire station, close to the area that holds Ankenys farmers market.
When we were researching on a lot of what we were going to offer, what the county offers for their services, we could not find any in the state that were anything close to what we are opening this week, said Nick Lenox, Ankeny Parks & Recreation director.
This will now make eight senior centers we operate in Polk County, said Steve Van Oort of the Polk County Board of Supervisors. We feed over a thousand seniors every day.
In addition to the congregate meals and other senior services, they also offer physical activity.
As Ankeny continues to grow with young families were continuing to support the seniors in our community, said Lenox. We have a great partnership with Polk County, putting money towards our senior services. What we did was took a senior typical senior center and we added a gymnasium to it with a second floor, a walking track and a lot of additional social amenities.
The new center cost over $7 million. Polk County paid $3.5 million and the Albaugh family gave $500,000, while the City of Ankeny paid the rest.
For more about the Albaugh Family Senior Community Center, .
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Albaugh Family Senior Community Center
Started during the summer of 2020, Ankeny partnered with the Polk County Board of Supervisors to build this $7.1 million facility.
With a focus on seniors, the new community center will offer classrooms, an indoor walking track, pickleball courts, a golf/sports simulator, an exercise area and raised shuffleboards.
Polk County will use the facility to provide senior services consistent with its other metro-area facilities, including daily meals, health screenings, wellness and recreational opportunities and other senior-oriented services.
The city will offer programming at the center on evenings and weekends for residents of all ages. The walking track and amenities on the second floor will be available to Ankeny residents.
The center is estimated to be completed in November 2021.
The Family At Independence Village Of Ankeny
To be a part of the Ankeny community is to be a part of a tight-knit group of individuals who come together in their love for their city. What does it mean to be a part of Independence Village of Ankeny? It means being a part of a family.
Residents in the community dont just find a place to live. They find a community of people ready and excited to get to know them, support them and care for them each day, however they need. For those who could benefit from assisted living in Ankeny, Iowa, and services like assistance with daily activities, medication support and more, Independence Village of Ankeny provides 24-hour support in a licensed community setting. In the memory care neighborhood, this also includes intentional programming and unique community amenities and features that accommodate the effects of memory loss.
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How Much Does A Membership Cost
Memberships are free for Ankeny seniors and $40 a year for non-resident seniors. For other Ankeny residents, membership costs $60 a year, while the cost is $75 for nonresidents.
Memberships are good for one year. A day pass is $5. They are available at the center, and an online option is coming soon.
Ankeny Kirkendall Public Library Playground
A new playground is scheduled to be installed at Ankeny’s public library this spring. The $225,000 construction cost is for the installation of the equipment, which was purchased in 2020.
The playground is designed for ages five through 12 and includes rubber surfacing, ADA ramp access and a slide transfer platform, a shade canopy, two slides, and other amenities.
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Ankeny Cuts Ribbon On A New Community Center
— The City of Ankeny cut the ribbon on a new community center on Monday.
As Ankeny continues to grow with young families, were continuing to support the seniors in our community. We have a great partnership with Polk County, putting money towards our senior services,” said Nick Lenox, the Director of Ankeny Parks & Recreation.
Lenox tells WHO 13 the new Albaugh Family Senior Community Center is designed for seniors, but is open for use by Ankeny locals.
The center is accepting memberships to use the fitness center, which features a basketball court, a golf simulator, an indoor track, weightlifting stations, shuffleboard, and more.
“What we did was took a senior typical senior center and we added a gymnasium to it with a second floor, a walking track and a lot of additional social amenities,” said Lenox.
The new center cost over $7 million. Polk County covered half of the total, the Albaugh family gave $500,000, and the City of Ankeny covered the remaining $3 million.
The Albaugh Family Senior Community Center sits at 150 NW Ash Drive in Ankeny. More information on the facility can be found here.