LITTLETON —The pyramid of dirt next door to the is a clear sign that construction has begun on what will be a new memory care center at 5130 W. Ken Caryl Ave.
The new facility is expected to open in the spring of 2014.
The single-family residence that formerly occupied the more than 1-acre site was demolished during the week of Sept. 23, according to Cyndy Walters, sales and marketing director.
According to records, the contractor is . The owner of the Gardens at Columbine is Darrel Schmidt.
The new building will be about 20,000 square feet with 26 private apartments, with capacity for 30 residents.
A short walkway will connect the main building to the new building’s lower level. Walters said 18 to 20 full-time employees will work at the new center, which will include round the-clock licensed practical nurses on the campus. The care staff-to-resident ratio will be 5 to 1.
Walters said a community conference space will be available.
The building is designed to appear as one story from the street with a lower walk-out level on the east side. Inside there will be continuous indoor walking areas, which Walters said are vital to folks with Alzheimer’s disease.
“We know what kind of movement folks with Alzheimer’s or memory impairment have to have. They can’t go into deadends, so everything will be circular,” Walters said.
An enclosed memory garden with walking paths will allow residents to be outside.
Walters said since a community meeting this spring, the facility has maintained communication with neighbors.
“We got them involved with the plans and approvals,” Walters said.
She added that the new building will emulate the current parklike setting at the Gardens at Columbine.
Karen Groves: 303-954-2303, kgroves@denverpost.com
