To the editor

We are excited to announce that the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center (PMPSC) has officially opened the doors of its new home — the Ade Bethune House — with a Grand Opening to celebrate starting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. This milestone, and the success it represents, belongs to every corner of our community, and we are deeply grateful to the people of Portsmouth for making it possible.

For 45 years, the PMPSC operated out of the Anne Hutchinson School building, a facility more than a century old. As much as that space has meant to our organization, the reality was the building had become unusable: it did not meet building and fire code, required extensive repair and renovation, and was inadequate for the quality of programming and services our seniors deserve. It was clear that our seniors — and our town — needed something better.

What followed was a six-year journey that we are proud to report has been successfully completed. In November 2021, Portsmouth voters approved a ballot question to lease the Anne Hutchinson School property to developer Church Community Housing Corp (CCHC). That decision proved to be a turning point. 

In return for the use of the land, CCHC transformed the site into the Ade Bethune House — a beautiful, modern facility bringing 54 units of senior affordable housing to Portsmouth, along with a brand-new, purpose-built senior center, all at no cost to our taxpayers. The creative and collaborative partnership between Portsmouth town leadership and CCHC that made this a reality is exactly the kind of innovative problem-solving our community is capable of when it works together.

We want to express our heartfelt thanks to Portsmouth voters, who set everything in motion; to our town leadership, whose foresight and determination created the opportunity; to CCHC for building a modern facility that will serve our seniors for generations; to our Public Works Department, whose team spent many hours of hands-on work to help us move into and set up our new space; to our members, for their patience and resilience; and finally to our dedicated staff and many volunteers for keeping the PMPSC intact throughout this long transformational period. Thank you all.

Our new center is ready — ready to welcome, ready to serve, and ready to grow alongside this community for decades to come. We warmly invite all Portsmouth residents to join us for the grand opening celebration on Oct. 21. So, please save the date, and we’ll see you there.

Jim Seveney

Portsmouth

Note: This letter was sent on behalf of the board of directors and staff of the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center.