JOHNSTON, RI -- In an effort to provide improved services to more of Johnston's seniors, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined with local officials to cut the ribbon on the new Johnston Senior Center. Located on Hartford Avenue, the new $3.8 million Johnston Senior Center replaces the old facility on Priscilla Lane and will include a wellness center, two doctor's offices, a library, a restaurant-style dining room, and a multi-use community room. Over the years, Senator Reed secured $950,000 in federal funding for architectural planning and engineering work for the new facility. "This is a great day for the town and a great day for our seniors," said Senator Reed. "The creation of this new center has been a long time coming and is due in no small part to the hard work of many individuals, including the Mayor, senior center Executive Director Anthony Zompa and his staff, members of the Town Council, and the many citizens of Johnston who donated their time and effort to make it a reality." For over 25 years, the Johnston Senior Center has provided local seniors with hot meals, health and education services, recreational activities, and a community-oriented environment. But for the last two decades, the center has been located in a 3,000 square foot converted highway garage with little natural light and inadequate program space. The new location will provide seniors with 15,000 square feet of interior space on mostly one level. It will have additional parking space and ramps to make the building handicapped accessible. "For over two decades, the Johnston Senior Center has been a fixture of the Johnston community, but the old facility did not exude the same warmth and charm as the people who used it," said Reed. "This new state of the art facility will create a more welcoming atmosphere for seniors. It will allow the center to expand its services and help more seniors get health screenings, connect to the Internet, or socialize with friends in a comfortable, friendly setting. This new center will be a fantastic resource for seniors and the community for many years to come." Today the Johnston Senior Center serves more than 6,000 seniors in the Johnston area. Members pay a $10 yearly fee and a small fee for meals. Membership has sharply increased since construction of the new facility began and recently surpassed the 1,000 mark.