BUTLER TWP — When work began on creating a new office for the Butler County Area Agency on Aging at former Butler Health and Fitness Club on North Duffy Road, Butler County officials projected they would move in around December.

On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Beth Herold, director of the Butler County Area Agency of Aging, told the agency’s advisory board the building and technical drawings are 95% done, but the building probably won’t be ready for move-in for at least several more months.

Herold said several factors are contributing to the delay, but agency staff and people who will use the senior center that will also be in the building are eager to get into the new space.

“It’s not easy for seniors to get in and out of our building, like to park and to get into our services,” Herold said. “It will be so nice when we get in there and the VA is right there, and people can just walk up one flight of steps and there we are.”

Butler County purchased the property for $437,500 in December 2021 and plans to use it to replace the agency’s office at Sunnyview Circle.

Butler County commissioners ratified submission of the site plan and a $25,328 proposal to design the conversion of two racquetball courts into two pickleball courts at their meeting in August. The commissioners hired Moshier Studio of Pittsburgh to design, which is being handled as a separate project from the rest of the building renovation project.

Herold said at Tuesday’s meeting a requested redesign of the courts may have caused a bit of a slow down on getting the building ready.

Herold said the new estimated time of completion is the spring, but she isn’t optimistic about that estimate.

“We’re so passionate to get into the building … it’s a shame the project isn’t moving along any faster,” she said. “I just think there’s a lot of projects going on now.”