brookdale at ithaca | Ithacating in Cornell Heights

Brookdale Ithaca Crossings Construction Update, 11/2016

1 12 2016

The Brookdale project is just about complete. It looks like most of the exterior is complete with only some minor trim left on the to-do list, and landscaping for the new 32-bed, 23,200 SF facility is underway. New trees and other flora will likely wait until early Spring, which will give them a chance to take root before dealing with an Ithaca winter. Occupants should begin moving in during January 2017.

It might not be architecturally daring or a planning masterpiece, but the need for memory care facilities is demonstrated, it will bring a couple dozen new jobs to the area, and positively contribute to the quality of life of local families and mature adults. Should one have a family member in need of a facility, it’s a lot easier and more convenient to hop over to West Hill than to travel up to Syracuse or Rochester. On the balance, it’s a benefit to the Ithaca community.

Background information on the project can be found here. An interview with Brookdale staff can be found on the Voice here. Syracuse’s Hayner Hoyt is the general contractor, and Wisconsin firm PDC Midwest is the architect.

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Brookdale Ithaca Crossings Construction Update, 9/2016

25 09 2016

There’s only a few months left in Brookdale Ithaca’s construction timeline, and the new Crossings facility is starting to look a lot like the anticipated final product. In the past few months, the rough openings have been mostly fitted out with windows, and the exterior walls have been sheathed in housewrap and are in the process of being sided. The installation of A/C units is also underway. Most of the roof appears to be done, although in some sections the tar paper has yet to be shingled. Exterior trim panels and details like the decorative shutters will be attached after the roof and primary walls are finished. The excavated hill to the southwest (right side in the images) will be held back with a 10′ retaining wall, yet to be assembled.

Note that these photos are the living spaces and the bulk of the new 23,200 SF, 32-bed facility, but the front entrance is actually a diagonal (northeastward) extension between the two existing facilities and out towards the front circle. You can see a little bit of the front entrance gable in the second-to-last photo. More details on the project can be found on the blog here and on the Voice here.

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Brookdale Ithaca Crossings Construction Update, 7/2016

25 07 2016

Over at the Brookdale site on West Hill, work continues on the new transitional wing for the existing assisted living and specialized memory care facilities. The residential areas of the new wing have been framed out and roofed. Shingles have been attached and plywood has been attached, leaving rough openings for windows, doors and A/C units. Sheathing will follow (you can see a little Tyvek housewrap on the far end), and exterior materials will come along in due course.

The connector to the existing wings is not as far along; some exposed roof trusses can be seen, and some of the roof plywood has been installed but not tar papered and shingled.

The buildout appears to differ from the online plans slightly. The plans show standard rectilinear corners. The new wings have chamfered corners.

The 32-unit, 32-bedroom project is expected to open to new residents in the first quarter of 2017.

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Categories : construction, ithaca, photos, senior housing

Brookdale Ithaca Crossings Construction Update, 5/2016

30 05 2016

As the population ages, so do the need for specialized care facilities. Work continues on the the Brookdale Ithaca Crossings project on West Hill.

Plans call for a 23,200 SF, 1-story building with 32 bedrooms (32 beds total). Along with the new building, there will be updates to parking, landscaping stormwater facilities, and the addition of a couple of courtyards between the buildings. The project was first proposed in late 2014, and approved last July.

The facility is designed to complement Brookdale’s two other Ithaca facilities, which are adjacent to the project site – The first, a 46-unit facility to the north of the project site, is Brookdale Ithaca Assisted Living (formerly Sterling House), which serves as enhanced assisted living for seniors. The second, a 32-unit facility to the easy of the project site, is Brookdale Ithaca Memory Care (formerly Clare Bridge), which serves as assisted living for those with specific memory care needs, individuals suffering from advanced cases of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Both of the older facilities opened in 1999. The current project was initially called “Clare Bridge Crossings”, but it was later renamed to Brookdale Ithaca Crossings.

For more information about memory care and a few more details about offerings, I wrote an article for the Voice here.

Nursing home and assisted living facilities have to demonstrate to the state that their is a local need for a project, and the “certificate of need” is only issued at the end of a project, after it’s been built and the state has concluded its inspection. According to Brookdale representatives, there’s no indication that the certificiate of need will not be issued.

Construction is expected to last around 14 months, which would give an estimate of Q1 2017 for completion. The architect is PDC Midwest, a Wisconsin firm that specializes in memory care facilities.

Looking at the site, the foundation has been excavated and footings have been poured, and it looks like the foundation slab is already in for the south wing. The blue material might be some kind of vapor barrier film to help protect against moisture.