Dominion Senior Living of Richmond broke ground in April 2016 and plans to open in early 2017. The senior living community will be licensed as a personal care home and offer assisted living and memory care services. This piece of property is different from other Dominion Senior Living properties, in that there was an existing building on the site—a former bed-and-breakfast called Heritage House—which presented additional challenges when preparing for construction. The existing eight-bedroom building with four kitchens and six bathrooms, along with all its contents, were put to good use to impact the area in different ways. Instead of demolishing the building, Dominion Senior Living leadership contacted the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore to organize a deconstruction of the house, and then donated the structure to train area firefighters.
Habitat removed materials from the home, like wood trim, cabinets, light fixtures, and doors, to be sold in its store to raise funds to build homes for low-income families in the area. After the deconstruction and removal of hazardous materials, the county fire department used the remaining structure to train firefighters in new fire attack methods. This was a rare opportunity for firefighters to use a homelike structure with realistic hallways and a floor plan similar to those in the area to gain experience and insight. After two days of controlled burns, the crews eventually let the structure burn completely to make way for the foundation of the senior living community.
The assisted living and memory care community is now under construction as part of a master-planned community called Meridian Way, which will have additional retail areas surrounding the property. The building will be home to 84 residents in 50,000 square feet.
The style of the building is a classic Craftsman with large porches and natural stone mixed with wood siding. The natural elements are also carried through to the interiors with grass planters, natural stone fireplaces, and lots of natural light through a large skylight. The earth-toned furnishings are modern yet comfortable.
Dominion Senior Living is based in Knoxville, Tenn., and this location in Richmond, Ky., will be its first out-of-state endeavor.
