Having successfully achieved construction of multiple senior living and care facilities during the past 40 years, the Goshen County Joint Powers Board is well on its way to adding to the count.
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TORRINGTON – Having successfully achieved construction of multiple senior living and care facilities during the past 40 years, the Goshen County Joint Powers Board is well on its way to adding to the count.
Paul Novak, chairman of the GCJPB, explained the new concept to the Goshen County Commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday morning. The project includes two additional levels of senior living accommodations, to be located on the vacant property once occupied by the local hospital at East D Street and 20th Avenue, next to Evergreen Court.
“The need is there,” Novak told the commissioners. “I can hardly go any place without people asking about when we’re going to have an independent and a supervised living facility. We can document the need.”
Novak proceeded to review the board’s success in making Evergreen Court, the Care Center and the Alzheimer’s facilities realities.
“Here’s the vision,” Novak said as he began explaining the future project. It would incorporate the extension and further utilization of the existing Evergreen Court and a connection to a new complex that would house Level 2 and Level 3 care.
Novak said Evergreen Court represents Level 1 of the proposed five care sources. The new Level 2 would provide for independent living, and the new Level 3 would be supervised living. Level 4 already exists in the Care Center, and Level 5 is the current Alzheimer’s unit. Evergreen Court has 28 apartments, the Care Center has 70 beds, and the Alzheimer’s unit has room for 28 residents.
“We have a proposal to make sure all the land is used, and for health care only,” Novak added. Evergreen Court and the proposed Evergreen Plaza would be connected with a walkway or breezeway to allow access to both units. There would be a work out room, several types of therapy, a court for out door activities, and a theater and dining area for an evening of prime rib dining and viewing movies.
However, there are obstacles, such as financing. According to Novak, the price tag is about $4-5 million, but Goshen County Economic Development Corporation has the project on its “bucket list” and is investigating funding possibilities.
“I am concerned about funding,” Novak admitted, adding that several tried and true opportunities exist. He emphasized that the board has preliminary drawings from an architect it has worked with on past projects, and wants to continue its practice of hiring local, as it did for the Care Center dining extension. It was built by a local contractor who hired local, creating 17 jobs, and improving tax revenue to the county.