Center demolition continues

Construction crews began bulldozing the old Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar this week to make way for a new, $16.5 million state-of-the-art facility.

The senior center has run its programs out of an old school building on Marguerite Avenue since the 1970s.

The new, 36,500-square-foot center will feature a fitness center and a library and computer room and will utilize recycled materials from the old senior center in the construction.

The project was originally slated to cost about $20 million, but construction bids came in so low that officials announced earlier this year that the city won’t need to borrow any money to finance the project for the time being.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian donated $2.5 million to the project. The Irvine Co. has paid the city more than $5 million for the center through development fees.

The demolition phase of the project is expected to wrap up by the end of this week.

It will take about 18 months after construction begins before the building is completed and Oasis can begin hosting programs out of the new center.

— Brianna Bailey