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| Workers move a section of a new group home on Willow Street into place on Thursday. The new group home includes eight sections. The 2,000-square-foot building should be ready for occupancy by mid-December. Darrell Cole - Amherst Daily News |
AMHERST - A dream that's been several years in the making is finally becoming reality.
A large crane from Irving was on Willow Street early Friday lifting the first sections of what will be a 2,000-square-foot building that will be home to an eight-bed group home when it opens in mid-December.
"This is wonderful, it's something we've been waiting for for a long time. It's great to see it come together," Amherst and District Residential Services Society co-executive director Lois Wightman said.
The pre-fabicrated building is being put into place on the former Coates' dairy bar property in eight pieces. The $700,000 building will be L-shaped with four beds in each wing and offices and respite apartments in the centre part.
The new facility will enable the society to closure two group homes and help fill a void in respite apartments.
"Right now there are no respite apartments in the Town of Amherst, the closest place is Sunset (in Pugwash)," Wightman said. "For families with challenged individuals, having these respite apartments will give them an important break from caregiving. Before we would have to send someone to their homes to provide respite care, but now they can come here for care while the family members get a break."
The project, being contracted by Tranquility Homes, got a boost earlier this year when the town approved a development agreement that allowed construction. It got another boost with funding from Community Services earlier this year.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
