SIDNEY — Fair Haven Shelby County Home was the site of immense progress in 2018, which began in March 2018 with the beginning of construction on the long-awaited addition.
Site work had been complete for nearly a year before the construction officially began in January 2018. By late March, visible progress on the foundation was made and the Shelby County Commissioners held the official groundbreaking ceremony at the site.
The addition provides 20 private suites for rehabilitation to home and an additional 48 private rooms, complete with private bathrooms and contemporary conveniences. In addition, there are four double rooms for couples or individuals that want to share a room. The therapy gym is an important part of the plan and design. There will be a common, secure courtyard for resident use, plus updated dining space and public areas. The public areas will include a library space and a computer area.
“The residents of Fair Haven, the staff, and administration are excited about this project,” Executive Director Anita Miller said. “We thank Commissioners Bornhorst, Ehemann, and Guillozet for their constant support of Fair Haven and the investment it took to make this addition a reality.”
Her report continues:
Current residents have been tracking the progress every step of the way, with the Resident Council officers and meeting attendees receiving regular updates. The council was consulted early on in the planning process, back in 2015, and helped guide strategy on room design and amenities.
My strategy, along with the commissioners and architectural team from Freytag & Associates, was to take the necessary time to fully plan out the project before making big announcements. The design team met regularly for the past three years, ironing out detail after detail.
Some of the best advice is to measure twice, cut once and focus on the details. We thought it was important to think the same way about this project. It prevents costly surprises during the course of the work, and it will ensure that the project is completed efficiently.
We have a duty to our residents to improve their home to the best of our ability, but also to not leave it as a construction site any longer than absolutely necessary. Our friends at Thomas & Marker have done an incredible job keeping this project on time. And Freytag and Associates have been very diligent on monitoring and ensuring compliance.
The addition is only one part of the whole project. The addition will allow a renovation of the existing Arbor Hall, the most recently constructed part of Fair Haven. The next step is to turn that area of the building into a new memory care unit. The current memory care unit, Timber Hall, would then be closed.
