An open house showcasing the proposed redevelopment of the Bethany Cochrane site was well-attended and met with enthusiasm, according to society president and CEO Jennifer McCue.
Held at the Bethany Care Centre Oct. 12, society and planning staff were on deck to answer questions about the planned 10-year development of what is currently Cochrane’s only long-term care facility for seniors.
“The feedback has been really positive and people are excited, especially about the housing component,” said McCue.
“It’s about creating options for seniors to age in their community … our vision is to create a campus for seniors.”
The current site, following town and funding approvals, would transform from its present capacity of providing long-term and palliative care to a three-phase redevelopment.
Phase one would address affordable needs with 88 units and market housing with 32 units; phase two would see the teardown of the existing facility and it rebuilt with an additional 90 beds for long-term care; and phase three would see the addition of another 90 long-term care beds.
The current facility has 78 long-term care and 38 supportive living beds.
The housing component would stand four storeys and the care facility three storeys.
Ken Hutchinson has been a Bethany resident of two and a half years and a Cochrane resident engaged with the community for many more.
He is very pleased to see a site redevelopment in the works to address Cochrane’s growing senior population and was relieved to learn the existing All Saints Chapel on site would be preserved (eventually to be repositioned).
Barbara Purdy found her new home in Bethany Cochrane a year ago. She has settled in well and is looking forward to a brand new facility over time, joking that even though she will have to get used to elevators she is “very adaptable.”
McCue said they are hoping to submit development permit applications to the town by next month.
The timeline is largely dependant on town approvals and grant funding for the affordable housing component.
Cochrane will soon see another seniors living facility open, as Golden Life is building their Grand Avenue Village site, located behind the Nan Boothby Library; this project will have 87 units and be five stories tall.
