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For a renovation of the in Tualatin, Nomarco Inc. is working to stay out of the way. The contractor is updating systems and adding space to the 29-year-old building, all while programs and events take place inside.

“We’re trying not to disturb their process as much as possible,” Nomarco project manager David Shepherd said. “The way we are building is worked around their schedule.”

The renovation, which includes energy-efficiency and accessibility upgrades and an addition to dining and community rooms, is expected to let more programs be offered in areas with more space, said Paula Stewart, the center’s director. Nomarco is planning to shut down the building for only one to two weeks during the five-month renovation.

The Juanita Pohl Center is a hub of activity in Tualatin Community Park. The center is home to Tualatin’s Meals on Wheels program and daily hosts events such as watercolor classes, meals and card games.

The center has grown with the city: a past renovation doubled the size of the building as Tualatin’s population grew from 9,400 to 16,000 between 1982 and 1991. Continued growth led to a City Council-endorsed initiative to add space to the center to keep up with demand.

Some of the major changes to the building, including an HVAC upgrade and a sewer system improvement, are being set up to be performed over one to two weeks when the contractor plans to close the center completely – likely at the end of November, Shepherd said. Until then, crews will be working to minimize the amount of time for a building closure.

Construction crews also needed to find a way to work around the project site, which has no vehicle access to the area where an addition is being built, Shepherd said. The Juanita Pohl Center is in a park, directly next to the Tualatin River, so environmental care is required.

“There’s no access to the back area where we’re doing a lot of the work,” Shepherd said.

The concrete for the addition’s foundation was pumped through 80 feet of hose. Beams, structural supports and a new heating unit will need to be moved into position by crane, Shepherd said, “because they are one-ton items and there’s no real access.”

The Juanita Pohl Center, since it was built in 1982, has been managed by the Loaves and Fishes organization, but the city owns the building and oversees activities there. This fiscal year, Tualatin City Council adopted a goal of expanding services that the center can provide; the renovation is part of meeting that goal. The project is being paid for with city money and a Community Development Block Grant from Federal Housing and Urban Development, administrated through Washington County.

“The center’s a really important place for seniors to come to work on their health and wellness through fitness, educational and social needs,” Tualatin Community Services Director Paul Hennon said. “By making these improvements, we’ll be better able to serve that section of the population.”

Stewart, who runs the Tualatin and Sherwood Meals on Wheels centers, said that scheduling conflicts plague the center already. According to her group’s estimate, 2,400 people pass through the center’s doors every month.

“At this point it’s bulging,” Stewart said. “We’ve found that the senior population is moving out of the inner city and into the suburbs.”

Shepherd said that the renovation and expansion project should be completed by the end of the year.