Promoting health and wellness and creating age-friendly public spaces are among the many goals outlined in New Jersey’s Age-Friendly Blueprint.
The Borough of Paramus was awarded a grant to achieve both of those goals through a project that expanded wellness programming and improved accessibility at the Joseph Cipolla Senior Activity Center.
The center, located in the heart of a residential section of this Bergen County suburb, is a key community asset in town where 1 in 4 residents is over the age of 65.
Grant funds enabled the addition of eight new professionally taught exercise and art classes to the weekly schedule of Joseph Cipolla Senior Activity Center, said Anne Schneider, the center’s director.
The new offerings, which included two new yoga classes, two new cardio classes, a Quigong movement class, line dancing, and a new art class, helped bring 150 new seniors into the center’s doors, bringing total enrollment to more than 800, Schneider said. The center also offers a daily lunch and drop-in social programs from 8 am to 4 pm on weekdays.
Grant funds are also funding renovations to the building’s entrance to remove physical barriers and accessibility challenges that are problematic for those with mobility issues or disabilities.
The enhancements come at a crucial time for Paramus. Known for its major malls and retail outlets, Paramus is major destination for shoppers from across the metropolitan area but is also among the communities in New Jersey that has aged at a faster rate than the rest of the state. According to U.S. Census American Community Survey data from 2025, 26 percent of the borough’s nearly 27,000 residents are now over age 65.
The planned building improvements include constructing brick paver walkways that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, upgrading entrances with automatic doors, and installing new safety features like bollards and retaining walls. The parking lot will also be reconfigured to improve accessibility, Schneider said.
“This will make it much easier for some people to visit the center,” Schneider said.