A direct investment topping $3.3-million will create 50 new jobs to the Van Buren County community of Lawton and re-purpose a building that has been empty for several years.
Zach Morris, Executive Director of Market Van Buren says that after sitting empty for several years, the former Bronson Nursing and Rehabilitation building at 99 Walker Street in Lawton, will undergo extensive renovation before it reopens as an assisted living facility in the summer of 2021.
Community and business leaders gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony this week to celebrate the forthcoming facility renovation and the joint effort between the Village of Lawton, Van Buren County and Market Van Buren to secure a developer for the site.
Market Van Buren’s Morris says, “We’re very excited to have developers who see the potential both in this building and the community of Lawton. This project is not only bringing significant financial investment into our community but also 50 new jobs.”
Tom Stanek, Director of Kalamazoo Operations at Owen Ames Kimball Co. and Chairman of the Board at Market Van Buren, says, “We are excited to be overseeing a project that will not only have a positive economic impact in the community but will also support a growing community need. We know there is research showing an increasing need for safe places where our community’s elders can receive the care they need while still living near their families.”
The renovated Walker Street building will open under the name Blueberry Hill Assisted Living. Renovations will be overseen by Owen Ames Kimball Co. and designed by Schley Nelson Architects of Kalamazoo. The renovated building will offer private, sanitary spaces for residents. Blueberry Hill resident rooms will be private unless a resident wishes to share their room with another person, such as a spouse. Additionally, the building will feature a positive pressure system to help prevent the spread of germs between resident rooms and common spaces.
Once the renovation is completed, Blueberry Hill Assisted Living is expected to house 80 individuals. Additional capacity may also be made available to house senior citizens that receive care through a local nonprofit.
Market Van Buren, a subsidiary of Kinexus Group, is an economic development organization dedicated to the advancement of economic growth in Van Buren County, formed to bring the public and private sectors together to advance the economic interests of Van Buren county.
Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (O-A-K) is the longest-standing commercial contractor in the State of Michigan, founded in Grand Rapids in 1891. Offering Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build services, the firm has full-service offices in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Ft. Myers.
