Overview of Proposed Renovation and Expansion Project
St. Clare Home has an excellent reputation for caring for and nurturing residents and their families and is consistently ranked as one of the best facilities in the area. However, the current structure and condition of the home severely limits the efficient delivery of services. The proposed renovation will allow St. Clare Home to continue to provide superior care and will transform the space into a "household" model nursing care facility.
The household model is a much-improved departure from traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities, altering size, design, and organization to create a warm and welcoming community. The proposed renovation to St. Clare Home incorporates innovative architecture and will allow the staff to provide services to residents and their families that offer privacy, autonomy, support, and enjoyment.
The proposed St. Clare Community of Newport is to be built on approximately 1.62 acres of land that is situated along Spring Street between Dennison and Brewer Streets. The site has frontage along Spring Street with parking for the proposed facility being accessed from Dennison Street. The project currently consists of an existing 47-bed skilled-nursing facility. The existing facility is going to be renovated, which will include the addition of eight skilled-nursing beds and 40 additional senior-living units, which will consist of independent- and assisted-living options and adult day care. The 40 independent- and assisted-living units are convertible, meaning they can be used as either option. A resident who begins in an independent unit may eventually need services which can be delivered readily without requiring relocation to another unit. Thirty percent of these units will be available to low-income residents.
St. Clare Home is proposing to renovate and expand its 47-bed skilled nursing facility on Spring Street in Newport in order to meet the evolving long-term care needs of the community. The proposed project will add 13 skilled nursing beds and 40 new independent/assisted-living units and adult day care while transforming St. Clare Home into a "Green House" model nursing care facility.
Established in 1927, St. Clare Home has an excellent reputation and is consistently ranked as one of the best skilled nursing facilities in the state. The current facility, built in 1972, is aging and increasingly limits the efficient delivery of care. It prevents St. Clare Home from offering enhanced or expanded services and will eventually be unable to meet functional and regulatory requirements. The "Green House" model is an innovative departure from traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It alters size, design, and organization to create a warm and welcoming community.
The proposed project will create "household" living environments that offer residents private rooms and baths, arranged around a central family-style kitchen, dining, and living area. This design will allow St. Clare to provide services to residents and their families that offer increased privacy, autonomy, support, and enjoyment. The name "Green House" comes from the presence of sunlight, green plants, and access to outdoor spaces. The new outdoor space at St. Clare Home will include therapeutic gardens, walking paths, and fountains designed by a geriatric landscape architect.
The independent and assisted-living units will be convertible, meaning they can be used for either purpose. A resident who begins in an independent unit may eventually need assisted-living services which can be delivered readily without having to relocate the resident. The project will increase living options for the elderly in Newport with 30 percent of the units available to low-income residents.
The proposed project will be built on St. Clare Home’s current 1.62-acre property situated along Spring Street between Dennison and Brewer Streets. Three deteriorating and functionally obsolete buildings—the vacant Garretson daycare center and two residential homes—will be removed from the property and replaced with an environmentally friendly, low impact building. The remaining buildings will be renovated and a new 100-space parking garage will be built with the entrance and exit on Dennison Street. St. Clare’s distinctive stone chapel with adjoining convent (built in 1916) will be fully restored and serve as a centerpiece of the new facility. Architectural design will seamlessly integrate with surrounding structures and enhance the aesthetic beauty of the existing neighborhood.
This project will make St. Clare Home the first LEED-certified skilled-nursing facility in the state. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED certification serves as a nationally recognized benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green homes and buildings. LEED certification is based on key areas including water conservation, site selection, energy efficiency, materials, indoor-air quality, and design innovation. St. Clare Home’s green features will include water efficient landscaping, rooftop gardens, porous pavement, and green certified building materials.
