A lot has happened at the Chardon Motel on Water Street since Maple Grove Residential LLC bought it last year.
A lot has happened at the Chardon Motel on Water Street since Maple Grove Residential LLC bought it last year.
A few outside walls and concrete floors remain of the structure built in the 1950s and 5,000 square feet has been added to the motel footprint.
The interior has been removed and walls — still in the stud stage — delineate the 16 rooms for senior residents, offices, a kitchen, a dining hall and other spaces that will make up Thistle House by the end of the year, according to Phil Smith.
Smith is CEO of FirstLight Home Care on Chardon Square and has been involved with Maple Grove since the project’s inception.
“People thought we were crazy,” he said, standing in the middle of construction. “It’s a huge undertaking, but, in the end, it’s going to be worth the trouble.”
Smith is looking forward to the enlarged facility’s opening, not just to begin seeing some return on investment. Offices for FirstLight will take up the new second floor of the front section of the structure, with a conference room and communal mail room downstairs at the entrance to Thistle House.
The living quarters vary in size from 250 square feet for one person to 350 square feet, which would accommodate two, he said.
Each has a private, wheelchair-accessible bathroom and a small kitchenette.
“But folks won’t need those much because we have a full-service kitchen,” Smith said.
Plans include a counter facing the kitchen with seating for five so residents can watch the chef preparing meals.
A chef and assistant chef will be the only new full-time positions, he said.
However, FirstLight, which will be providing any supplemental care residents request, is always looking for more home health care employees, Smith said.
Behind the kitchen is a laundry area that will be open to residents.
“People will have the option to have their laundry done or do their own. Some people love to do their laundry,” he said.
Facing east, the dining room is bright and airy. The cathedral ceiling two stories up and plenty of large windows give a feeling of space and openness. A fireplace along the east wall will add to the family atmosphere.
Smith said the area will be open between meals for residents to have family get-togethers for special occasions, with public restrooms near the laundry area.
“It’s pretty exciting, from my perspective,” Smith said. “It’s also a Chardon icon.”
History aside, part of the draw of Thistle House is its central location in Chardon. Residents will be able to walk to restaurants and stores most of the year. Smith said he will need to find out if golf carts would be OK modes of transportation in the city.
His experience with Geauga’s senior citizens through FirstLight led him to buy the property, which has deteriorated over the last few years.
Many county residents in their 60s and 70s are finding it problematic to maintain a home on large lots, Smith said.
“It’s exceedingly difficult for older people to live at home,” he said.
Once they have to start paying someone to mow the lawn and plow the snow, the magic of home ownership starts to erode.
But a shortage of senior apartments in Chardon and much of the county has forced seniors to move away from the familiar and the friendly.
“Thistle House gives them the opportunity to stay where they currently live because they love Chardon,” he said.
The city approved the plans in January and Smith said he hopes to have the facility ready by the holidays.
A handful of seniors have enquired about the availability of space at Thistle House.
“As more of it is done, I bet we get more attention,” Smith said.
