In the Pipeline: Senior Housing Construction Projects (11/19/15)

Construction: Planned

Presbyterian SeniorCare Plans Memory Care Community for Pa. 

Presbyterian SeniorCare this week announced plans to build a new memory care community—the first of its kind for Washington County, Pa.

Woodside Place of Washington will be based on the Woodside Place of Oakmont community, one of the first residential Alzheimer’s care facilities in the U.S. created nearly 25 years ago by Presbyterian SeniorCare.

The free-standing Woodside Place of Washington will feature 30 beds on the Washington campus and will specialize in serving the needs of residents living with dementia.

To design the new community, Presbyterian SeniorCare has selected international architecture firm Perkins Eastman, which also designed the original Woodside Place in Oakmont.

In the coming months, Presbyterian SeniorCare says it will mount a “significant capital campaign” to take Woodside of Washington from concept to reality.

The project completion goal is early 2018.

Construction: In process

Perkins Eastman Celebrates Groundbreaking of The Tower at MorseLife

International design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman last week celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony of The Tower at MorseLife, a new luxury independent living residence and the final phase of the a transformation project at MorseLife Health System’s 37-acre campus in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The 10-story, 300,000 square foot Tower will feature 182 one- and two-bedroom apartments and dining areas that include a restaurant; casual dining bistro; display cooking area; resort-style wellness spa and salon; art room; indoor lounge; outdoor pool; multipurpose auditorium; among other amenities.

Common areas will be located in a gallery-style corridor designed as a matching component to the adjacent The Tradition of the Palm Beaches, the campus’ rental community for independent and assisted living.

In addition to the new and upgraded amenities, Perkins Eastman’s design also includes the expansion of the existing dining room and enclosing the existing veranda that will connect the new Tower to the existing building.

Interior design concepts will feature modern furnishings and The Tower will have its own dedicated entrance in the form of an elegant porte cochère that leads into a hospitality-inspired lobby with concierge service and an adjoining library with double-height ceiling.

The Tower at MorseLife will be built in two phases at a cost of $77.6 million.

Most recently, Perkins Eastman provided planning and design services for The Tradition, which was completed in 2009, and the Sondra and Davis S. Mack Pavilion, a household model short-term rehabilitation center completed on the MorseLife campus in 2014.

The Tower is scheduled to open in 2017.

Deerfield Retirement Community Breaking Ground on $9 Million Expansion 

This week, Deerfield Retirement Community in Urbandale, Iowa, will break ground on a $9 million redevelopment project that will add new levels of living options and health services to its campus.

The project arrives following a financial backing commitment from Deerfield’s parent company, Des Moines-based Lifespace Communities, Inc.

As part of the redevelopment plan, Deerfield is acquiring state and local certifications for the addition of “social-model” assisted living and social-model residential memory care levels of living.

Currently, the community offers independent living apartment homes and skilled nursing residences on campus.

Milwaukee-area based AG Architecture is the designer for the redevelopment project, and Minneapolis-based Weis Builders is the contractor.

Deerfield Retirement Community will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, November 20 at 13731 Hickman Road in Urbandale.

Construction and all phases of the expansion and renovation project are scheduled to be complete by summer 2016.

Iowa Retirement Community Undergoing $2 Million Facelift

Windmill Pointe & Hawthorne Inn of Coralville, a retirement community located north of Iowa City will soon have a new name among many other changes to the facility, including new operational responsibilities undertaken by Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Senior Housing Management.

One of the most noticeable changes Senior Housing Management will be making to Windmill Pointe & Hawthorne Inn is a $2 million facelift to the property, said Senior Housing Management Vice President of Operations Allison Law in a release.

The facelift, Law said, will include adding a new sprinkler system and a new wireless emergency call system, as well as replacing exterior doors and winders, new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint.

The community will also be renamed Brown Deer Place, and will soon provide a dedicated secured memory care program as well as traditional retirement living with health care services available.

Merit Construction is assisting Senior Housing Management with the renovations.

North Carolina CCRC Breaks Ground on Friendship Garden

This week, Grace Ridge Retirement Community, a Life Plan Community in Morganton, N.C., broke ground on a Friendship Garden located between the community’s memory care and assisted living facilities.

More than $50,000 was raised in conjunction with the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation.

Appalachian Naturescapes designed the Friendship Garden to support the mountain lodge feel of Grace Ridge. Out-croppings will be built with harvested boulders made of Virginia Fieldstone and featured plants and flowers ail include maple, conifer, azalea, camellia and hydrangea.

Grace Ridge Retirement Community is owned and operated by Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge.

Construction: Completed

Mainstreet Opens Newest Transitional Care Center in Kan. 

Carmel, Ind.-based developer Mainstreet last month completed construction of its newest transitional care center, The Healthcare Resort of Shawnee Mission, located in Overland Park, Kan.

The property, which sits at 7600 Antioch Road in Overland Park, provides transitional care—short-stay rehabilitation and therapy—and assisted living.

With 125 beds and 85,635 square feet, The Healthcare Resort of Shawnee Mission features a large therapy gym, a spa, movie theatre, an on-site chef, among other amenities.

The three-story project represents a total community investment of $19.8 million, and led to the creation of 320 construction jobs and 90 permanent jobs at the property.

The Healthcare Resort of Shawnee Mission celebrated its grand opening Nov. 12.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENSG) operates the facility.

Silverado Brings New Memory Care Community to Texas

On Tuesday, Silverado opened its newest memory care community in Southlake, Texas. At capacity, the new community will serve up to 60 residents and support 60 local health care jobs.

Silverado Southlake will leverage its research-based Nexus program for people with early-stage dementia, combining science and social engagement. Staff at the new facility are specially trained in the challenges of Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s, Lewy body and other types of dementia.

Also unique to Silverado Southlake is a newly launched Dementia Care Certification program for caregivers that requires 40 hours of classroom and hands-on training.

Silverado Southlake is located between Northwest Parkway and Grapevine Lake.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that more than $500,000 was raised in conjunction with the Blue Ridge HealthCare Foundation, when in fact, the correct amount was $50,000. 

Written by Jason Oliva