The Goshen Care Center Joint Powers Board moves forward with a 30-unit assisted living facility in Torrington.
The Goshen Care Center Joint Powers Board was awarded a $3 million Business Ready Community (BRC) Business Committed grant to construct a 23,980 square foot, 30-unit assisted living facility; a $7 million project that will provide level 2 & 3 assisted living. The Joint Powers Board has secured a loan for the completion of the project which will meet the demand for assisted living in Goshen County as identified in two market studies conducted by Goshen County Economic Development Corporation. Not only will this provide affordable and sensible housing options for seniors, the project will also support $325,701 in property and sales tax to Torrington each year.
The assisted living facility will be leased to Welcov Healthcare to operate and maintain and will create 15 or more full-time jobs. Welcov currently operates the Goshen Healthcare Community and Evergreen Court Living Centers. They mentioned that in a year’s time, they admit approximately 120 people to the Goshen Care Center, a skilled nursing facility. According to the Joint Powers Board, it is estimated that around 75% of those residents will require Medicaid at the cost of over $5 million to the State of Wyoming. It was determined that at least five residents could have been placed in an assisted living facility, which would have opened up skilled nursing facility beds for higher needs residents.
The Joint Powers Board also found that for every year a resident remains in an assisted living versus a skilled nursing facility, the resident saves $40,150. These savings will lessen the burden on the pending liability to the state, which equates to $64,834 per person per year to the Wyoming Medicaid program.
The City of Torrington donated a 3-acre site located on the corner of East D and 20th Street where the facility will be constructed. Once in operation, it will complement the independent living with assistance at the adjacent Evergreen Court, along with the skilled nursing and memory care at the Goshen Healthcare Center. The three facilities combined will expand the level of care available to seniors in Goshen County and provide a more streamlined continuum of care.
“This is a big win for our community” said Ashley Harpstreith, CEO, Goshen County Economic Development Corporation.
The funding of the (BRC) Business Committed grant will be finalized by the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) on October 4th, 2018. It is estimated that groundbreaking will occur in 2020.
PHOTO CREDIT: Goshen County Economic Development Corporation
