The Paradise Center settles into new home

By Dana Kampa
| 11:45 a.m. September 30, 2025

Longboat Key
Neighbors

This spring, one of Longboat Key's largest resources for lifelong learning and fun faced an uncertain future when it was priced out of its location on Bay Isles Road.

Leaders at The Paradise Center undertook quite a journey as they endeavored to find a solution rather than losing the community center. Sometimes, it turns out there's no place like home.

Residents joined a ribbon-cutting celebration on Sept. 29 for the center's reopening at Longboat Island Chapel, where the center originally formed.

Gail Loefgren, board president of The Paradise Center, thanked Rev. Brock Patterson and his team for their help carrying the center's mission forward.

"I've worked with a lot of organizations and people in my career, and the best ones are those who ask, 'How can I make this happen?'" She told attendees. "Those people are here today. Thank you very much for welcoming us."

Executive Director Amy Steinhauser agreed. She also took a moment to thank leaders at the chapel for opening their arms.

"I have never felt so welcome anywhere," she said.

After bringing out the staple oversized scissors to cut the ribbon inside the chapel's activity space, organizers jumped right into programming, starting with a "Stretch and Strengthen" class led by Suzy Brenner.

Yoga instructor Debby Debile said she looks forward to many aspects of leading classes at the chapel, especially at the possibility of being able to expand class sizes.

Steinhauser said they are eager to fully utilize the new space, from Tai Chi in the outdoor gardens to informative lectures in the newly renovated space upstairs. For a full list of upcoming events, visit TheParadiseCenter.org.

Longboat Island Chapel sustained extensive storm damage from last year's hurricanes and invested in rebuilding over the summer before opening its doors to the community center.

"We weren't sure where we were going to end up," Loefgren said. "This is where we started years ago, so this is a homecoming to a beautiful space."

She added, "The Paradise Center means so much to so many people. Our classes are so special with great teachers, and we're looking forward to adding even more classes."

Instructor Suzy Brenner leads her "Stretch and Strengthen" class for the first official activity following The Paradise Center reopening on Sept. 29 at Longboat Island Chapel.

Executive Director Amy Steinhauser, executive director of The Paradise Center, shares her excitement for a new chapter with community members at the ribbon-cutting.

Kim Verreault, Amy Steinhauser, Barbara Koetsier, Gail Loefgren, Rev. Brock Patterson and Debby Debile.

The Paradise Center is officially back in business at 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, where it first began as the Aging in Paradise Resource Center.

The Paradise Center Executive Director Amy Steinhauser speaks with Longboat Key resident Billie Dawson, who expressed interest in volunteering with the community center.

Members of the public helped The Paradise Center celebrate getting settled in its new headquarters while sipping on coffee and baked goods, supplied by Sips coffee shop, before joining an exercise class kicking off the activities.

Longboat Island Chapel Rev. Brock Patterson and The Paradise Center's Executive Director Amy Steinhauser and Board President Gail Loefgren said residents can look forward to new and familiar programs at the new headquarters.

Longboat Island Chapel underwent a complete renovation to recover from hurricane damage before welcoming The Paradise Center.

The Paradise Center's library of puzzles and other media found a home on the second floor of Longboat Island Chapel.

Instructor Suzy Brenner encourages participants to shake loose any hand tension during her "Stretch and Strengthen" class at The Paradise Center.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.