Carbon County is looking for a new home for its Panther Valley Senior Center.

Last week, the commissioners announced that it has not yet found a proper new location for the center after it was forced to close its site at the Nesquehoning School Apartments on East Catawissa Street because of issues with the building.

“Our staff at the aging office have been working diligently, meeting with facilities trying to find an alternate location after there were some issues at the current area,” Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said. “They’ve been going to churches, fire companies, businesses and other places, looking for a new center in the Nesquehoning area preferably.”

He said that the seniors who had attended the center didn’t want to go there anymore because of the problems with the building. The center has been closed since April, and the county is no longer paying rent for the site.

The new location would preferably need to be approximately 3,000 square feet or more, available during the day Monday through Friday, have a kitchen facility of some type to allow for the serving of hot meals, be handicap accessible and within the budget the county has for the senior center rent and operation costs.

“They’re very flexible,” Nothstein said of the aging office. “If it’s a voting place at a fire company or something, they (the seniors) can make other arrangements for those days. We are putting the word out there that we are searching for a place and working hard to find a place.”

Carbon County serves the area’s seniors through five senior centers, located in Palmerton, Weatherly, Jim Thorpe/Penn Kidder, Lehighton and the Panther Valley. Senior Centers provide a place to go during the day for activities, friendships and meal opportunities.