Masterpiece on Track for Fall Opening
Originally written by Gillian Slade and published by Medicine Hat News on
March 1, 2017
Eleven months after breaking ground for construction of a new seniors’ residence in Medicine Hat, the project more than halfway finished.
“We are 60 per cent complete, on track to open late September early October, and are on budget,” said Tim Garforth-Bles, president and CEO Masterpiece Care Corp.
A cold winter with lots of snow has not impacted the construction schedule, said Garforth-Bles.
Painting and flooring is underway.
“We have close to 100 trades in the building,” said Garforth-Bles noting that the first glimpse of the interior and a possible tour may be feasible within weeks.
The first phase of the project includes the centre and north wing totalling 151,000 square feet and 120 units.
One-hundred units will be subsidized by Alberta Health Services for long-term care and dementia residents. There will be another 40 independent living spaces and a further 60 to be determined.
Masterpiece Southland Meadows, 4401 Southlands Dr., has been designed to provide views of the lake, trails and the morning sun. Two-storey windows in the dining room look over the lake and an expansive patio, creating a tranquil setting. A walkout basement, because of the slope of the land toward the lake and direction of the sun, were defining elements of the design.
For this project Masterpiece received a grant of $6.25 million from the provincial government under the Affordable Supportive Living Initiative program. The budget for the entire project is $40 million. ASLI grants cover up to 50 per cent of capital costs for developing new spaces, with the remainder coming from the applicants. ASLI grant recipients are required to maintain the units for 30 years at government-established rates.