New Horizons care facility is moving forward with plans to expand after council approved the construction of a three-storey addition to the facility.
The expansion involves the addition of 54 new beds on top of the 93 existing beds at the care home, which was built in 2006/2007 on 14th Avenue across the street from the Campbell River Common mall.
The new wing is slated for construction behind the Quinsam Radio Communications site on 16th Avenue, which is adjacent to the existing New Horizons building.
Patrick Wheeler, agent for the project, told city council at its Monday night meeting that the addition will have 18 beds per floor and include common spaces such as dining and living room areas.
He said one of the most difficult aspects in designing the project was in trying to match the new addition to the existing facility.
“The design challenge was to make the addition match with the existing while not trying to replicate the architecture which we weren’t a huge fan of,” Wheeler said. “So we basically kept the massing and kept the floor elevation but we added a lot more glazing to the addition, as well as the use of wood.”
He added that the new building will have a warm grey colouring, columns and the use of cedar elements in a nod to the city’s forest history.
It will also include a secure outdoor courtyard with a gazebo and walking loop paths for New Horizons residents.
Mayor Andy Adams praised the work of the designers and everyone involved in getting the project off the ground.
“Another great project and another great addition for Campbell River,” Adams said.
Park Place Seniors, which owns and operates New Horizons, will also be tasked with the building of the new residential wing which will contain 40 beds, publicly funded through Island Health. Of those, 20 will serve those with dementia while the remainder will cater to residents with more complex needs, including moderate and advanced dementia.
The other new beds will be privately funded.
Construction of the new wing is expected to take 21 months, according to an Island Health release, and cost roughly $9 million with the annual operation of the 40 beds costing in the range of $2 million.
The new addition is expected to open in 2017.