Leaders of the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center, the new tenants of the clubhouse at Ballinger Park, were given the keys to their new facility by the City of Mountlake Terrace on Friday.

Mike Cooper, the Senior Center’s Executive Director, received guided tours of the former Ballinger Clubhouse by city staff on both Wednesday and Friday, learning about security alarm codes, intercom systems and idiosyncrasies of the building.

While there is plenty of excitement among the senior center staff, volunteers and members about their new home, getting moved in to the 6,800-square-foot facility at 23000 Lakeview Drive will take some time, Cooper said. “We will begin moving slowly. We have events coming up in November and December, with a goal of being fully operational Jan. 1.”

The group plans on renovating the building’s kitchen and food service areas starting next week.

The MLT Senior Center signed a five-year lease with the city to use the facility, to be renamed the Mountlake Terrace Community Senior Center, for $1,500 a month plus utility costs. The lease allows the seniors group to rent out the Lakeview Room ballroom in the building to private groups, make some limited capital improvements to the facility in exchange for rent reduction, and erect some signage in and around the building.

The building will remain open to the general public during the senior group’s lease and will still be used occasionally by the City of Mountlake Terrace for various meetings and events.