Cobb Commissioners approved a $281,000 contract Tuesday for Choate Construction Company to design and build a new senior center in Austell.

The 5,000-square foot center in Clarkdale Park will replace the former Austell center in Legion Park which flooded in 2009’s historic floods. Since then the center has operated out of a renovated house in Powder Springs.

About $1.6 million in federal grant funds, originally slated for the new senior center in Powder Springs station, will be used to pay for the new Austell center. The Powder Springs center cannot use the federal funds because the building is in the flight path of Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Commissioners will review a final project design and cost during the June 28 meeting.

Austell senior center contract approved