The Cass County Council on Aging welcomed community members into their new Dowagiac facility Saturday, providing a place for individuals to access programs and services.

Front Street Crossing, located at 227 S. Front St., is the second satellite location for the Council on Aging (COA). Previously, the services and programs offered to older adults were primarily through the Edward Lowe Center in Cassopolis. After raising $375,000 in community donations, Front Street Crossing was created and opened to the public.

“We’ve been thinking about obtaining our own building probably since 1994,” Annette McCullin, COA communications coordinator, said. “This has been a long time coming.”

In addition to cutting the red ribbon Saturday with Mayor Don Lyons, residents came out to tour the facility, dine in the new café and listen to music by Al Mott.

“There were two big surprises with this facility,” Brent Robinson, site manager, said. “First, the amount of fundraising that came through. It surpassed what a lot of people were thinking. And also, how beautiful the building really turned out to be.”

With amenities like a fitness classroom and fitness center, visitors will be able to take part in classes, work out on weight machines or meet with Medicaid and Medicare representatives on-site.

“This has truly been a long journey,” Lyons said during the ribbon cutting. “It’s gone through a lot of iterations, but today, we’ve reached the end of that journey.”

Front Street Crossing will be open Monday, starting at 7 a.m.