Independent Healthcare Properties and Morning Pointe Senior Living are ready to move forward with a $35 million, 24-acre senior living campus in East Hamilton County.
“We’re seeing an enormous amount of growth in the East Hamilton, Apison corridor,” said Greg A. Vital, chief executive of Morning Pointe Senior Living.
Planned work
Groundbreaking for the 24-acre campus is set for Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the East Brainerd Road site.
Site work will begin in the next 45 days in the 9700 block of East Brainerd Road, just past the intersection of Ooltewah-Ringgold and East Brainerd roads, said Vital.
The campus consists of three phases, beginning with a 73-unit, craftsman-styled assisted living community, according to Morning Pointe.
Phase two will be a 60-unit free-standing Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence dedicated to the care of residents with Alzheimer’s and other forms of memory care needs.
The final phase will feature a 120-unit independent living center on 11 acres to complement the full range of services designed to meet the needs of the age 55 and above population.
Morning Pointe expects completion of the first phase by fall of 2019.
The campus will offer amenities including walking trails, exercise paths and landscaped grounds, according to Morning Pointe. The site also will offer Morning Pointe’s “Farm to Table” program, life enrichment and professional health and wellness services. Daily activities feature therapeutic programs and physical and occupational therapies.
“With the growing number of people living longer and searching for more retirement options and relocating to Chattanooga, we believe Morning Pointe is the perfect place for families in the Tennessee Valley who are looking for quality health care services to call home,” said Vital. “Our understanding of the region’s culture and heritage has allowed us to successfully provide senior healthcare services and life enrichment programs to seniors for more than 20 years.”
Plans are to employ about 150 people in the first two phases, he said.
In January, the project won approval of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. Vital noted that the proposed facility would be “very similar” to Independent Healthcare’s Hixson campus.
Mike Price of MAP Engineers, which represented Independent Healthcare, said about 70 people showed up at a community meeting related to the company’s proposal. He said the majority wanted to see C-2 convenience commercial zoning of the property rather than residential which could lead to apartments.
“They fear apartments,” Price said.
Independent Healthcare Properties, a Chattanooga-based company, is the developer, owner and manager of 31 Morning Pointe Senior Living and The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Memory Care Center of Excellence communities in five southeastern states.
IHP was founded in 1996 by Vital and Franklin Farrow.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.