Community members break ground for new senior living community
Representatives who helped make the new senior living community possible pose for a picture during the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Alpena — Different members representing a number of institutions in the Alpena community helped break ground on a new senior living community at the corner of Johnson and Wilson Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Oak City Contracting Vice President of Business Development and Marketing Craig Froggett emceed the groundbreaking ceremony. Mayor Matt Waligora, Alpena Community College President Don MacMaster, Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce President Jackie Krawczak, Besser CEO Kevin Curtis, MidMichigan Medical President Chuck Sherwin, and Hinkson Properties President Missy Hinkson all shared words of congratulations on the celebratory first day of construction.
The Besser Senior Living Community will have 48 rooms in total. 20 rooms will be dedicated to memory care. Another 28 beds will be dedicated to assisted living with 4 suites included. At the center, a gathering place will be constructed to host activities and events for the communities. Those that attend the ceremony could look at a rendering of the future senior living community. The $7 million investment into the Alpena area offers many benefits for all ages, especially students at Alpena Community College.
“It had to enhance something for the college, it had to have a component to it that did something educational for the students, so what better piece to use then have a facility where the nursing students can come and just be an extension of ACC,” said Froggett. “It’s still on the campus corridor, and you know they will come over and take vitals on the residents.”
ACC approved the sale of the 8 acre-lot back in November of 2017. Hinkson Properties, which operates a eight senior care facilities in the upper peninsula, saw the land as an opportunity to build a new center below the bridge. mBank provided the financing for Hinkson Properties 9th senior care facility. Oak City Contracting is managing the project which is expected to be completed in a year.
“[I’m] very emotional,” said Froggett. “I’ve been working on this for 18 months to two years, and [I’m] just excited, I can’t put it into words,” said Froggett.
