In addition to the building, crews will tear down 16 garages on the 30-year-old complex, says Tom Van Cleave, director of marketing. Large sections of blacktop also will be removed.
The Holmstad plans to salvage what it can. Many of the materials will be recycled – 5,000 exterior bricks will link the new facility to existing Holmstad buildings. Van Cleave expects the area to be cleared by late May and construction of the town center to commence in June. The town center is expected to be completed in August 2008.
The first floor of the new town center will house a fitness center, two swimming pools, a library and computer center, game room, creative arts center, fireplace lounge and beauty salon as well as a variety of dining options.
The second and third floors will contain 48 apartments with up to 1,473 square feet of living space, and most units will have balconies. The demolition of the old building and the construction of the new structure will net the complex 19 new apartments. An underground garage will enable more landscaping.
The new facility is designed to meet the demands of baby boomers as they retire, says Van Cleave. The new seniors expect to have more choices, including places to dine and state-of-the-art fitness equipment.
A study published by Standard & Poors, the world’s foremost provider of independent credit ratings and investment research, counsels that a senior living community must reposition its physical plant, program and debt every five years to stay competitive in the marketplace.
Six hundred seniors live at The Holmstad, which offers levels of care that range from independent apartment living to skilled nursing facilities. A $26 million assisted living project was completed four years ago.
The Holmstad is one of 14 facilities operated by Covenant Retirement Communities, operated by Covenant Ministries of Benevolence on behalf of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
