$120 Million Development Project Reaches Halfway Point, Construction Figures Released

July 20, 2012 - PRLog -- FRESNO, Calif. – Earthmovers continue work as part of the $120 million construction and renovation project to enhance the lifestyle of older adults at The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens. Newly released construction figures reveal that crews are excavating 18,000 cubic yards of soil, the same amount being used to complete the Memorial Plaza at the new World Trade Center in New York City. It’s enough dirt to fill five Olympic-size swimming pools. Phase II of the project at The Terraces includes a new underground parking garage, new commons building, new residential living and health care apartments, as well as office space.

“Innovative designs and comforting amenities are trademarks of this project,” says Jessica Lopez, executive director of The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens. “It’s all about investing in our community to meet the ever-changing social, educational and lifestyle desires and health needs of residents. It’s also gratifying to be able to help those in need in the greater Fresno area by making charitable contributions to some worthy organizations.”

Over the course of the construction and transformation project, The Terraces has contributed more than $100,000 worth of kitchen, household and medical items to the Fresno Rescue Mission and other local charitable organizations.

“This transformation project includes so many new materials, commercial items and industrial products, but it’s replacing items that are still in pretty good shape,” Lopez says. “It can be hard to imagine the types of used items—from large to small—that can really be useful and valuable to others.”

Construction of The Grove, the community’s dedicated Alzheimer’s and memory care center, is scheduled to be complete in September. It will feature 24 private rooms. “The Grove will help address a growing need here in the central San Joaquin Valley and across the state,” says Lopez. The number of Californians who suffer from a type of dementia is expected to rise by approximately one-third over the next decade, according to the Alzheimer’s Association Disease Facts and Figures. Nationwide, the association projects the number of people who suffer from Alzheimer’s to triple by the year 2050.

Demolition is now underway to make way for the new skilled nursing center at The Terraces which includes 54 private suites. The innovative structural design, featuring three different neighborhoods with rooms situated around a central gathering point, is unique in the state of California.

Work is ahead of schedule on a new commons building. This area will serve as the main hub for the community and include a café, fine dining restaurant with a winery atmosphere and a fine arts center with an auditorium for symphony and theater events.
   
Construction is also underway on the final, and largest, building in Phase II of the project at The Terraces. The Milano, with 86 maintenance-free residential living apartment homes, will be built on top of the underground parking garage.

Phase I of construction featured 47 new residential living apartments, a bistro, pool, fitness center and spa. “The transformation is building on the success of the first phase and all the amenities that residents are thrilled about and already enjoying,” Lopez says.

Construction Numbers & Fast Facts:
●   18,000 cubic yards of soil excavated; enough to fill 5 Olympic-size swimming pools
●   368 new trees
●   1,292 new doors
●   6.1 million nails used; equal to the weight of 2 adult male African elephants
●   6,310 cubic yards of concrete
●   2,500 cubic yards of backfilled soil
●   2 million square feet of sheetrock, enough to cover approximately 40 football fields


About The Terraces

The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens is committed to enriching the lives of older adults. For more than 45 years, the community, located at 5555 North Fresno Street, has delivered one of the most engaging lifestyles in the area. In addition to residential living, the community offers residents access to a full continuum of on-site assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing. For more information about The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens, call (559) 435-1999 or visit www.TheTerracesAtSanJoaquin.com.

About ABHOW

The Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens in Fresno, California, is managed by ABHOW, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. ABHOW is a nonsectarian corporation, serving seniors through quality retirement housing since 1949. ABHOW seeks to enhance the well-being and security of seniors through the provision of housing, health care and supportive services, and was a pioneer in the development of CCRCs. For more information about ABHOW, visit www.ABHOW.com.