HALLOWELL -- Work is scheduled to start next week to greatly expand the William S. Cohen Community Center, center officials said.

The reason for expansion is simple: The center is too popular.

"We have had to turn people away because we've run out of room," said Debra Silva, vice president of public education and center operations for Spectrum Generations, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Cohen Center and six other community centers in central Maine.

"It's a good problem to have, but we wanted to solve that problem and accommodate more people," Silva said.

In three years, the Cohen Center has gone from serving 2,900 meals in its dining area, to more than 16,600. The Meals on Wheels Program has flourished, from 11,411 meals in the 2005-06 fiscal year to 46,681 meals last fiscal year.

"We had to set up people wherever we could, including hallways and offices," Silva said of the lunchtime crowd.

Katy Perry, a Hallowell resident who has been going to the Cohen Center for five years for programs and meals, said the need for expansion is evident.

"This is a place that has been very much enjoyed by many thousands of people over the past 12 years," Perry said. "I can see the need for (expansion)."

Spectrum Generations received a low-interest loan for $225,000 to put toward the $325,000 project. The remaining amount will come from fundraisers and donations.

Silva said that, including the loan, the center has just more than $250,000 for the project.

"We have been so blessed and fortunate that people have donated in the past," Silva said. "We hope we can be as fortunate once again."

The expansion work will start next week, and activities and dining normally held at the center will move to Cox Memorial United Methodist Church on Central Street. Silva said the project should be complete before Thanksgiving.

Two outside decks will be enclosed and a lower, partially-enclosed deck will be built. The additional room will allow staff to serve up to 10,000 more meals a year and expand the number of activities and programs offered.

Some of those programs focus on physical wellness, assistance with Medicare and health insurance, playing bridge, knitting and offering adult day care.

The Cohen Center, Silva added, provides an alternative for many older people in the area communities who may otherwise have little to do during the day.

"People want to stay active and connected to their community," she said. "I also think people are beginning to realize it's never too late to get healthy and active."

One of the most prominent activities at the Cohen Center is a twice-weekly bridge game that draws dozens of people.

"I know people who will not miss a game," Perry said with a smile. "And it's a way to stay active and keep the mind sharp. People can enjoy themselves and forget about an operation they might have to have, or forget about their illness or worrying about their grandchildren, what have you."

The Cohen Center will also be designated as a pet-friendly emergency shelter, thanks in part to a grant from Maine Emergency Management Agency to buy a generator.

With a severe winter expected in Maine this year and a rising concern for people's well-being during those bitter winter months, center coordinator Maggie Tardiff said turning the center into an emergency shelter was a natural choice.

"I fear for many seniors in the case of an emergency, because they will not want to leave their pet," Tardiff said. "We've been working on this grant for years now."

Perry believes consumers will be satisfied and pleased with the expansion project is completed.

"This is truly an old-fashioned community center," she said, "and community is what it's really all about."

Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811 Ext. 431

mmalloy@centralmaine.com