The Evergreens, a Continuing Care Retirement Community, held a groundbreaking event today to commemorate the start of work on a new healthcare center.  The 87,000 square foot healthcare center, considered “Phase II” of a four-phase campus renewal project, will bring 76 custom, comfortable private healthcare rooms to the continuum of care offered at The Evergreens.

The majority of the funding for the center is derived from The Evergreens’ cash reserve with a small percentage coming from a bank loan. “Particularly in today’s economy, we are proud and pleased that we are in such a strong fiscal position that we are able to fund an undertaking of this size and scope,” said Douglas C. Halvorsen, CEO of The Evergreens.

The four-story building features three floors of healthcare.  The terrace level will house support services and an entrance for emergency vehicles.  Floors one and three will be designated as assisted living floors and floor two for skilled nursing residents. The first floor will focus on the needs of residents requiring memory care and will feature an enclosed courtyard.

The design of the building features floors designed as distinct “communities” each with two “neighborhoods.”  There will be a maximum of thirteen rooms per neighborhood.  The floors feature open space, dining rooms, living rooms and shared country kitchens accessible by residents and visitors. There will be a salon and a spa on each floor.

Rooms are approximately 400 square feet, each with a private bathroom and shower, and residents may bring their own furniture and lighting to decorate their rooms. Kanalstein Danton Architects successfully executed the design to meet with The Evergreens’ objective that the new healthcare center should not look or feel like a hospital or institution.  Accordingly, the plan calls for the comforts of home – making each resident feel like they are living in their “own apartment.”

“Quality of life and the opportunity for joyful living shouldn’t be dictated by bricks and mortar,” said Halvorsen. “No one should be limited by a building’s “physical environment. For some reason, many long-term care facilities still make you feel like you’re walking into a hospital room versus your own living space – that is not the way things will look or feel around here!”

The healthcare center is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by the first quarter of 2012.

“Our goal is to blur the boundaries between living in a healthcare bed and living in your own home,” said William Stone, Chairman of The Evergreens Board of Trustees and a neighbor of The Evergreens.  “Nobody lives in their bed – each room in the new center will be a reflection of one’s self.”

The first phase of the campus renewal project was completed in 2009.  The updates to the kitchen and dining rooms have been met with praise from residents and industry leaders.  The Evergreens’ dining rooms were recently featured on the cover of Design Magazine.

Plans for Phase III include building 24 assisted living apartments in a building adjacent to the healthcare center, bringing the total number of healthcare units back to 100.  Each apartment is designed as a private, one bedroom suite with a full bathroom, living room and kitchen. This building will provide common living and dining space as well as activity rooms.  Also included in Phase III is a new community center, additional dining options, a new library, upgraded physical therapy services and a wellness center to name a few features.

The final phase of the campus renewal calls for 24 new independent living units (ILUs) with four existing units modified into guest and model units yielding 20 net additional units and resulting in a total of 220 ILUs on The Evergreens campus.

Phases III and IV will not be started until Phase II is completed.

Jim Price, Moorestown resident and partner of Eventus Strategic Partners, The Evergreens’ development managers, recognized the significance of the Phase II improvements by saying, “This is a triumphant day for The Evergreens as its management and Board of Trustees has exercised patience, diligence and dedication to their mission of serving residents.  They should be commended for breaking ground on such a significant project, particularly in this economy.”

Other development team members include – Kanalstein Danton Architects (KDA), Marathon Engineering and Environmental Services and Wohlsen Construction Company.