Cabinets, countertops, and flooring are mostly complete in the Independent and assisted living wings, even appliances are being installed.
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Construction Update
March 2008
Covered canopy area of main entrance that leads into a large lodge area with fireplace, the town center and the Assisted
Living and Independent Living wings.
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Secondary entrance area that leads into a large lodge area with fireplace, the Town Center and the Skilled Care Nursing
wings. This entrance features a heated garage area for indoor ambulance and bus loading and unloading.
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View of one of the many screened in porches nestled in the beautiful courtyards surrounding the Warroad Senior Living
Center.
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There are several fireplaces throughout the campus. This one is located near the activity area of the Skilled Care Nursing
wing. A log mantel and rock work will complete this cozy fireplace.
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The stainless steel work of the main working kitchen is nearly complete. A corner of the protective covering has been pulled
back to reveal the stainless steel walls. This kitchen will service all four wings of the Warroad Senior Living Center.
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This is a peak inside the "boiler room" that includes the three boilers, water heaters and softeners as well as the sprinkler
system for the entire facility.
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There are several spa areas found throughout the facility, this one is on the second floor of the Assisted Living wing.
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The kitchen flooring, cabinets, countertops and sinks are nearly all installed in the Assisted Living wing. Each Assisted
Living apartment will include a stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. Independent Living apartments each feature a stove with a
microwave hood, refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal and washer and dryer.
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Trim, doors and carpeting are being installed now in the Assisted Living apartments. This is a view looking from an
Assisted Living bedroom out to the kitchen area.
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The entire Warroad Senior Living Center Campus is on track for opening mid-summer of 2008.
Originally, it was intended that the Assisted Living and Skilled Care wings would open before the
Independent Living wing was ready for occupancy. Now, due to tremendous progress and effective
construction management, the Independent Living wing will be ready for occupancy at the same time
as the rest of the facility. “It just made sense to work on the Independent portion of the building at the
same time as the other wings,” said project superintendent Ron Dazell of ICS Construction. “We have
concentrated on using our crews and materials efficiently and found that by utilizing what could have
been considered down-time for our crews, we were able to construct the Independent wing at nearly
the same speed as the rest of the facility.”
Currently there are nearly 100 workers on site. Throughout the construction period, ICS has been
able to hire 30 to 40 locals to work on the project. Dazell says that there were many training sessions
held on-site to insure a high level of precision when working on many areas of the project. “We have
held classes for our crews for various things including proper installation of the windows, Tyvek
surrounding the windows, and siding installation.” Throughout the construction process there has
been a high level of communication between ICS, the owner representatives, Marvin Windows,
contractors, sub-contractors and the lumber yard. “We are pleased that everything is coming along
very well; every project has a hiccup,” says Dazell, “but that’s part of the enjoyment…overcoming that!”
The bitterly cold winter has not put a damper on the construction. “The entire building is air and water-
tight, and is heated through temporary sources at this time,” says WSLC board member and Marvin
Windows and Doors Facilities Engineer Brian Schaible.
It’s important to remember that the Warroad Senior Living Center Campus is essentially made up of 5
buildings or units including Independent Living, Assisted and Supportive Living, two Skilled Care wings
and a Town Center that connects the four wings. Each of these is currently at a different stage of construction.
Assisted Living
The Assisted Living wing that includes ten units of supportive care is the furthest along. All the units
are painted; kitchen and bathroom cabinets, countertops and flooring have been installed. Currently
crews are working on finishing electrical trim, light fixtures, closet accessories, baseboards and
window/door casings and trim-work.
Independent Living
The apartments and corridors of the Independent Living wing are currently being primed and painted,
kitchen and bathroom flooring and cabinetry is being installed and trim-work has begun. The garages
for these apartments are substantially complete.
Skilled Care
The two Skilled or Nursing Care units have seen much progress in the past month. Electrical, plumbing,
sprinkler and HVAC rough-ins are complete. The exterior walls are insulated and sheet rocked; interior
walls are being insulated for sound then sheet-rocked; and door frames are being hung. Each room in
Skilled Care will be equipped with a track and permanent or portable hoist that will help lift residents
safely and comfortably from bed to bathroom. In addition, each unit has a hidden “laundry chute” that
will act as a convenient pass-through for linens.
Town Center
The Town Center will offer the familiar experience of “going to town” to the residents of the WSLC. This
building was fully enclosed in December and is currently undergoing ceiling sheet rock, exterior wall
insulation, plumbing and electrical work. Framing has been completed for the interior walls of the
administrative area and the boilers have been installed and tested. The Town Center will consist of a
large group/family gathering area, chapel, beauty shop, fitness and wellness center, physical therapy
center, a club room, conference and training rooms, and a theater. Residents will enjoy the full theater
experience as this room will be equipped with high-tech sound system, projector screen, theater seats
and popcorn!
“This has been an incredible project to work on,” says project-super Dazell, “Our crew has been treated
very well in this community, we are progressing at a manageable speed and the facility will be amazing.”
As if proof were needed to show the complexity and efficiency of the campus, the architects of Horty-Elving
have recently been given a national award for their design of this campus. The Warroad Senior Living
Center facility design received honorable mention from a field of 41 candidates throughout the country
in the 2008 Design/Environments for Aging Architectural Review.
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While move-in dates are nearly 5 months away, Administrator Rod Kutter encourages interested parties to
contact him right away. "We have a waiting list started for both Assisted Living and Independent Living, we will
be conacting people on a first come, first serve basis to send out detailed information about the facility,
our services and costs." The best way to contact Kutter is by phone at 218-386-1235 or by email at
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Funding for the new Warroad Senior Living Center was a gift to the community by Marvin Windows
and Doors in 2005 and 2006. The facility is slated to open in the summer of 2008.