KBE Completes Connecticut's First Household Model Senior Care Building

BRIDGEPORT, Ct., August 9, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Local seniors are now able to enjoy Connecticut’s first “household model” senior care building featuring assisted living, skilled nursing, hospice care, and a full range of senior care services  – now that the new Jewish Senior Services (“JSS”) building on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg campus opened its doors.

KBE Building Corporation (KBE) served as Construction Manager at Risk for the new $75 million, 372,000 s/f building located on the former site of the Jewish Community Center (JCC) at 4200 Park Avenue in Bridgeport, CT.

 “A project of this magnitude usually requires a budget of equal measure” said Ross Mezzanotte, KBE Project Manager. “But we were able to work with the owner, architect, and our subcontractors to achieve a construction cost of approximately $200 per square foot, which is well below the market for a project of this type.”

The project was constructed on the site of the Jewish Community Center, a facility that stood as a landmark in Bridgeport since 1963.

“It was important to preserve the history and memories that lived in the walls of the Jewish Community Center and the vacated Jewish Home for the Elderly located just a few miles away from the new facility.” said Simon Etzel, who joined KBE in 1987 and became a principal in 2007 with fellow senior executives Mike Kolakowski and Eric Brown. “From the beginning, the Project team made it a priority to incorporate the same feeling of community that was so present in the old building into this newly designed facility.”

CT’s First “Household Model” Senior Care Building

Designed by architect Perkins Eastman, the new Jewish Senior Services campus features the first “Household Model” of senior care in the State of Connecticut. Each of the households encompasses an entire floor and services fourteen (14) residents with private bedrooms and bathrooms along with the following shared features:

·         den

·         dining room

·         living room

·         balcony

·         kitchen

Continuing Care Services for Seniors

The new campus provides an array of existing senior services in addition to several new services made possible by the new building.   

·         18 assisted living units (1-bedroom and studios)

·         18 skilled nursing households each with 14 private bedrooms and bathrooms (252 residents total)

·         2 short-term rehabilitation households each with 14 private bedrooms and bathrooms and indoor and courtyard therapy centers (28 residents total)

·         2 households servicing residents with dementia each with 14 private bedrooms and bathrooms and an adjacent  courtyard (28 residents total)

·         adult day program

·         outpatient therapy

·         home care

·         hospice care

·         Institute on Aging

·         Center for Elder Abuse Prevention

·         Senior Choice at Home®

Amenities for Local Families

The following features of the new intergenerational campus are available to families in the community:

·         18,000 s/f fitness center

·         25-yard, four-lane indoor swimming pool w/access ramp

·         child care center (infants through pre-school)

·         kosher bistro

·         multi-purpose room

·         social, educational, recreational, and spiritual activities for all generations

Building the first household model senior living facility in Connecticut had its share of  challenges. It was a very valuable and unique learning experience for all parties involved who now can bring this experience to new clients who follow in JSS’s footprints.

Close collaboration among the entire team – KBE, Jewish Senior Services, Perkins Eastman, and Capital Projects – was truly a key to the project’s success. That, and the sheer optimism and positivity of JSS’s President and CEO, Andrew H. Banoff.

“Andrew’s vision and determination to complete this project for his residents was inspiring,” said Mezzanotte. “Knowing this building’s purpose – that it will have such a positive effect on thousands of seniors and their families over the generations – provided special inspiration for all of us each and every day.”

“Andrew was one of the most involved owners I have ever worked with – in the best way possible,” said Etzel. “I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of senior care, and because of Andrew’s attitude and JSS’s overall commitment to quality senior care, I have believed in this project from the very beginning and I take great pleasure in knowing KBE Building Corporation was a very important part of its success.”

The entire team at KBE Building Corporation looks forward to seeing this structure stand tall for many years to come.

High-resolution photos of the Jewish Senior Services grand opening are available below.

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Caption: Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, Senator Richard Blumenthal and Andrew H. Banoff, President and CEO of Jewish Senior Services

Credit: Regina Madwed, Capitol PhotoInteractive

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Caption: Andrew H. Banoff speaking to donors and friends of Jewish Senior Services at the Grand Opening

Credit: Regina Madwed, Capitol PhotoInteractive

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Caption: Mayor Joseph P. Ganim presenting a certificate of recognition to Jeffrey Radler, Chairperson of Jewish Senior Services

Credit: Regina Madwed, Capitol PhotoInteractive

About KBE Building Corporation

KBE has managed more than $4 billion in construction volume during the past two decades and is ranked among Engineering News-Record magazine’s top 400 construction companies nationally.

With offices in Norwalk and Farmington, CT, as well as Columbia, MD, KBE Building Corporation is a full-service, single-source commercial construction company strategically positioned to serve the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1966, the $300 million firm provides preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting services to clients in the retail, educational, senior living, federal, corporate, hospitality, health care, and institutional markets. KBE’s team of 120+ construction professionals and support staff is deeply committed to the firm’s corporate philanthropy program, 50 Ways to Make a Difference. Established in 2009 to celebrate the firm’s new ownership, name change, and 50 years in business, 50 Ways has helped KBE associates donate more than $1.7 million and 11,474 volunteer hours to charitable causes benefiting children, seniors, and military veterans in Connecticut and Maryland.

Learn more at www.kbebuilding.com.

 About Jewish Senior Services

Jewish Senior Services is one of the premiere providers of senior care in Connecticut serving clients throughout Fairfield and New Haven Counties. The 5-star skilled nursing and short term rehabilitation facility has been serving the community for over 40 years with an unparalleled quality and personalized care. Jewish Senior Services opened The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus on Park Avenue in June 2016. The new state-of-the-art intergenerational senior services campus includes skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care residences. Other services include rehabilitation, day services, home care, hospice, advocacy and education, home together, long term care protection, child development center and fitness center.

About Perkins Eastman

Perkins Eastman is among the top design and architecture firms in the world. With almost 1,000 employees in 15 locations around the globe, Perkins Eastman practices at every scale of the built environment. From niche buildings to complex projects that enrich whole communities, the firm’s portfolio reflects a dedication to progressive and inventive design that enhances the quality of the human experience. With work in 46 states and more than 40 countries, the firm’s portfolio includes high-end residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, office buildings, corporate interiors, schools, hospitals, museums, senior living, and public sector facilities. Perkins Eastman provides award-winning design through its offices in North America (New York, NY; Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; Pittsburgh, PA; San Francisco, CA; Stamford, CT; Toronto, Canada; and Washington, DC); South America (Guayaquil, Ecuador); North Africa and Middle East (Dubai, UAE); and Asia (Mumbai, India, and Shanghai, China).

Media Contact: Jonelle Lawhorn | Director of Marketing

t: 860.284.7431 | c: 860.836.7517 | f: 860.284.7831 | e: [email protected]

Source: KBE Building Corporation