Good Samaritan Society — International Falls will move forward into the development stage of a new campus along Keenan Drive.

The next phase in the project has begun as a result of approval by a project team at the Good Samaritan Society national campus.

“It’s very good news,” said Adam Coe, administrator. “It’s exciting for us and the community. This allows us to provide services for many years to come.”

The new Good Samaritan Society building project is expected to cost from $17 million to $19 million.

The timeline calls for the project to be construction ready by April 2012. Architectural drawings, the bidding process, building permits and other details will be finalized by that time.

Groundbreaking is anticipated to take place in the late summer of 2012.

“We expect the actual building process to take approximately 12 months. That puts our potential move-in phase about two years out,” explained Coe.

The building design and feel will be home-like, reflecting the warm, comforting, resident-centered culture of today’s care environment, according to Coe.

“We want to get the community excited and behind us on this,” he said. “It’s nice to finally see some action.”

The plan includes 54 private skilled nursing suites for long-term care and short-term rehabilitative stays. These suites will be divided into three 18-unit “neighborhoods.” Each neighborhood will have a living room, family room, activity space and a kitchen.

Also included in the plan is a 24-unit assisted living center. Like the skilled nursing design, the assisted living suites will also be grouped into three equal neighborhoods. The kitchen, dining, activity and social areas are shared spaces in the assisted living center. The Home Health Care Agency and the Therapeutic Rehabilitative Center will also be part of the building project.

The project has seen it’s ups and downs, said Coe. But Coe said he never lost faith that the project would move forward.

“We knew that if we persevered, planned and kept the faith, our vision for the future would be realized,” he said.

Coe said he got involved in the process to construct a new campus about four years ago. In 2007, he began the internal process and then later began to seek approval from the state to get approval for the project. The state has a moratorium on the number of nursing home beds and in 2009 the project received approval for an exception to the moratorium.

The state’s approval was competitive, with about 17 applications for an exception sought, and just seven or eight approved.

About one year into the process to become “construction ready” the “economy tanked” and movement on the project stopped. The Legislature granted another 18 month extension, which gave the project three years to become construction ready.

“The three years runs out in April of next year, so looking to meet definition of construction ready by deadline and break ground early spring or summer 2012,” he said.

“It’s definitely a relief,” he said of receiving approval to move forward. “For those in our building now, they know it’s not the most desirable, so something needs to happen and soon.”

Good Samaritan will seek support from the local community to help with financing the project, according to Barb Owen-Boerger, director of Community Relations The goal is to raise $1 million locally, through donations, fundraising events and planned giving, noted Owen-Boerger.

“While a goal of $1 million may seem daunting, this amount actually accounts for less than 6 percent of the total cost of the project,” she said.

To donate to or to participate in fundraising efforts, contact Owen-Boerger 283-8313 ext. 122 or bowenboe@good-sam.com.