BRENTWOOD — After plenty of debate and a switch in scope and location, construction work is moving ahead on Brentwood’s newest assisted living community.
A groundbreaking ceremony for Morning Pointe of Brentwood is set for 11 a.m. Thursday at the empty field at 1522 Wilson Pike, just north of the Wilson Pike and Moores Lane intersection.
Brentwood Mayor Paul Webb will be on hand to speak during the ceremony and will be assisted by other members of the City Commission. State Rep. Charles Sargent and State Sen. Jack Johnson also have indicated that they’ll be there. Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce President Cindi Parmenter and Tiffany Mann of the Midsouth chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will attend.
When opened next fall, the 55,000-square-foot assisted living center on 8 acres will have 73 private apartments, including 20 apartments specifically designed for individuals who have Alzheimer’s and memory care disorders. The facility will cost $10 million, said Greg A. Vital, president and CEO of Independent Healthcare Properties, which owns and operates Morning Pointe.
Earlier project rejected
A similar project was proposed in 2010 for the northwest corner of Concord Road and Wilson Pike, a spot of land that is called, unofficially at least, “the donkey farm.” But the rezoning request for the then larger, two-story structure didn’t pass muster with the City Commission, which voted it down amid traffic concerns.
The new site, along Wilson Pike between the 1808-built Forge Seat and Community Church, was granted rezoning and site plan nods in the summer.
In tribute to the nearby historical property, photographs depicting the area’s antebellum culture will be displayed in the assisted living community and be a part of the center’s Meaningful Day program. These nostalgic scenes might help with memory care by focusing on each resident’s interests and life experiences.
With a staff of 50 full- and part-time employees, Morning Pointe of Brentwood will provide clinical oversight by licensed nurses, assistance with activities of daily living and restaurant-style dining. Other services and amenities will include medication management, transportation, a beauty and barber shop and an enclosed courtyard.
When completed, the facility will provide more than $15 million annually to the area’s economy considering payroll, property taxes and the purchase of local goods and services, according to Independent Healthcare Properties officials.