CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Work is progressing on the new home of The Clarion Area Agency on Aging on Route 322 between Clarion and Strattanville.

The new facilities are being designed and built for the agency by Beckwith Rentals, who will rent the building to Aging.  The agency expects to occupy the building sometime in December.

“This move is to position the agency to better respond to the needs of the county’s aging population as well as demands that the future of state and federal funding may place upon the agency,” said Aging Board President Harold “Jake” Jacobson.

“The future of social service agencies will be marked by greater cooperation and regionalization.  The agency’s current facilities were dictated by a county-based system and have proved to be grossly inadequate and increasingly constraining for the evolving work of the agency let alone positioning it for the future.”

Jacobson said the agency is excited for possibilities that the move holds for the future and its work with the growing aging populations of Clarion County.

The Clarion County Planning Commissions unanimously approved the office-building proposal submitted by owners John J. Beckwith and Nathan L. Beckwith and granted preliminary approval for land development.

County Engineer Kevin Reichard said the 5,633 square foot office building would be located on Beckwith’s existing parcels, 1.89 acres.

“They do have existing access to Route 322 on the private road called Venture Lane,” said Reichard.  “They are proposing a 14,777 square foot parking lot with 22 new parking spaces, which exactly meet our requirements and are 10 foot by 20 ft. in size.”

As property owner, Beckwith will pay real estate taxes.