As one of the first nursing home licenses granted in New York State in the 1950s, the Belair Nursing and Rehabilitation Center had not been updated to current standards in over 50 years. The aging facility, while well maintained, lacked the infrastructure of modern facilities, including recreation areas, on-site physical therapy, staff offices, and parking. To meet current standards and allow for changes in health care’s future, National Health Care Associates embarked on an ambitious plan to remake the facility, which would ultimately become a first-class skilled, nursing facility that U.S. News and World Report has named to its list of “Best Nursing Homes” for 2013 and 2014.
The new facility design, which increased the size from 28,743 square feet to 82,596 square feet and over 100 beds, required the acquisition of additional acreage from adjacent properties because of the size of the expansion. After a long and complex zoning process, the property was acquired. Phased construction allowed for each resident to remain at the facility and only be moved once throughout the construction process.
