Ontario Construction News staff writer
A ground-breaking ceremony was held in Beeton, south of Barrie, last week, launching a construction project that was in the planning stages for several years.
The Simcoe Village campus project is a $177-million redevelopment of Simcoe County’s oldest long-term care home into a 500,000-square-foot campus. It will have 160 long-term-care beds, which includes 34 new beds, along with variety of 180 housing units for older adults, which represents more than 140 new units.
“This has been a long-time coming, and I know that our residents and our future residents will appreciate this state-of-the-art campus that will be built right behind me,” said Jane Sinclair, General Manager of Health and Emergency Services.
“Simcoe Manor is the oldest of the four long-term care and seniors service facilities that are owned and operated by the county. It was originally constructed in 1898 and this home has undergone three subsequent redevelopments, the most recent occurring in 1992.”
The campus will provide additional long-term care beds, supportive seniors housing units and programs, and an expanded continuum of care and living options.
Architectural firm Salter Pilon designed the complex. The 440,000 sq. ft. development consists of a community health hub, affordable and supportive housing, retirement suites, life lease and market rental suites, garden homes, townhomes and co-op housing with a total of 337 units.
The major programs are located in five residential low-rise towers with the garden homes, townhomes and co-hosing being separate from the main facility.
Construction is expected to last until late 2024 or 2025.
“This campus means a lot of things to a lot of people. It means our seniors will be well taken care of as they age in place, staying close to home, and in a community within a community,” said County Warden George Cornell.
“It means that families will know that not only are their loved ones being taken care of adequately but are also thriving.”