The corner of 123rd and Nall is lined with signs of progress. Work is underway on the Village Shalom strategic campus expansion and repositioning project, currently set for completion in 2020. These tangible signs of growth began when the community broke ground in July 2018, but the seeds of growth have taken root through years of important behind-the-scenes efforts, particularly through those behind the “A Defining Moment” capital fundraising campaign.
The $16 million capital campaign will support the construction of Village Shalom’s new free-standing memory care community, along with the renovation costs to repurpose existing areas of its campus to develop an advanced short-term rehabilitation center and expanded therapy gym.
“It is gratifying to see years of planning finally progress to the construction stage. It took a lot to get to this point, but a major portion of this campaign still lies in front of us,” said James Klein, a member of the Village Shalom board of directors. “There is a great story to tell and we are excited to begin this public phase and connect with the broader community.”
“A Defining Moment” consists of two distinct phases — a private and a public — each critical to the overall success of the expansion. During the private phase, the community rallied to generate $10 million in funding — more than 60 percent of the campaign goal. There was limited awareness of the private phase, which is not uncommon for this type of campaign. As it moves onto the public phase, Village Shalom is stepping up awareness as it seeks to secure the remaining funds from a broader constituent base.
“The private phase of the campaign was an intense effort. We were up against a hard deadline and a lot of people came through to get this project off the ground,” said Joseph Hiersteiner, a Village Shalom board member. “Reaching the $10 million threshold is a significant milestone, but there is still much to be done. We’ve had time to reorganize, and are now ready to finish things off with this extremely important public phase.”
Village Shalom and its predecessor communities have been a mainstay in the Kansas City Jewish Community since the organization’s inception in 1912. Today, Village Shalom annually serves more than 800 seniors of all faiths through its broad array of residential and community-based services.
“A Defining Moment” is headlined by a team of community leaders with personal and professional ties to the Overland Park continuing-care retirement community. The team is led by Joseph Hiersteiner and Sanford Krigel, both of whom have long-standing relationships with the community, and each a past chairman of the Village Shalom board of directors. The campaign cabinet additionally consists of current Village Shalom Board Chair Karen Glickstein, Dr. Irene Bettinger, Pella Fingersh, Robert Gershon, Edward Goldstein, James Klein, Michael Klein, David Porter, David Spizman and Joseph Ungashick.
“We have an amazing team of community leaders dedicated to the plan Village Shalom has put into motion,” said Krigel. “The improvements and expanded resources that will come from this expansion will elevate the quality of life for generations of deserving seniors, and we’re thrilled for the opportunity to play a role in making this vision a reality.”
Expanding Quality of Life
The expansion will enhance quality of life for Village Shalom’s future and existing residents alike. The project will afford the community the opportunity to provide more comprehensive programming, greatly improve the rehab and therapy offerings and address the Alzheimer’s crisis by enhancing the community’s memory care capacity and redefining the manner in which it provides resident care.
Memory Care Community
The free-standing memory care community currently under construction will be built and staffed as a true Household Model. This model is changing the face of Alzheimer’s care through a focus on creating a genuine representation of home for each resident. The community will consist of three 16-residence households — two for assisted living, and a third for skilled nursing care. It will also have its own dedicated therapy space, salon and chapel. The community is highlighted by a well-landscaped secure courtyard with its own designated elevator, providing safe and easy outdoor access for the residents of each household.
“The outdoors have a tremendous impact on quality of life,” said Village Shalom President and CEO Matt Lewis. “We wanted to be sure to provide our memory care residents with the same ability to take in fresh air and sunshine as any other resident on our campus. This is why we found it so important to invest the resources to ease these residents’ ability to do so.”
The inside of each household will consist of the traditional staples of home — a kitchen for family-style dining, a living room and a screened porch. The apartments are separated from the family space to provide a sanctuary away from the rest of the household. In the Household Model, residents direct their own lives — getting up when they want, deciding how to spend their days and even sharing in household responsibilities.
The memory care community will be the first phase of the expansion to be completed. It is currently slated to open in the fall of 2019.
Short-term Rehabilitation Center and Therapy Gym
The project also includes a major renovation of Village Shalom’s existing space to create a new short-term rehabilitation center. The renovation will create 24 expanded private short-term rehabilitation suites, each with its own shower and other modern amenities.
The repurposing of existing space will also free-up more than 5,000 square feet for the creation of a new therapy gym. The gym will feature state-of-the-art equipment and expanded treatment areas.
Serving nearly 400 clients a year through short-term rehabilitation stays and outpatient therapy, these non-residential areas of the Village Shalom campus provide a valuable service to the community.
Village Shalom will begin the renovation process for the new short-term rehabilitation center shortly after the new memory care community opens. It is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2020.
Independent Living Apartment Residences
The privately funded portion of the expansion (not a part of the capital campaign) will be a 76-apartment independent living community that shares a direct connection to Village Shalom’s main campus. The one- and two- bedroom apartments range in size from approximately 800 to 1,800 square feet. All residences will include a private outdoor patio or balcony, underground garage parking and a private on-floor storage area. The new independent living community is currently more than 70 percent reserved.
Main Street
The new Main Street amenity corridor will serve as the connection point for the new independent living community and the existing resources of Village Shalom’s main campus. Main Street will include a casual dining restaurant, a bar and bistro area, an intimate theatre space and a full day spa with salon, manicure, pedicure, facial and massage therapy services. Main Street will also connect to a courtyard area with outdoor dining, a fire pit and a pickleball court. In addition, the new community will feature a 24-hour satellite fitness center, a game room with card and pool tables, an artist studio and a family gathering space with a full kitchen.
Main Street and the new independent living community are currently on-track to open in the spring of 2020.
“The new active living apartments will not only vitalize our entire independent living community, they will bring significant financial benefits to the community,” said Lewis. “Independent living is the foundation of a continuing-care retirement community. Broadening our base of lower-overhead residences will improve the bottom line and provide Village Shalom with a much more sustainable long-term business model.”
Finishing the Job
The campaign cabinet is still working to finalize all details for the public phase, but a number of events are being planned to provide a broader reach into the community.
“This phase will serve as a reawakening of the need that exists to provide area seniors with the latest resources to enhance quality of life, while also helping to secure the long-term viability of this valuable community resource,” said Hiersteiner. “Whether you are interested in naming rights or are just looking to help with modest individual contribution, we welcome and cherish your support.”
For more information on the “A Defining Moment” capital campaign, visit www.VillageShalom.org/Support or contact Village Shalom Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement Michelle LaPointe at 913-266-8412.