Columbia senior living development to undergo $1.5M renovation

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Forest Pines, a Holiday by Atria independent living community, has kicked off a new $1.5 million renovation project for capital upgrades in design and amenities.

The upgrades are designed to transform the community’s appearance and function and are expected to be completed this winter, according to a news release. 

When originally built, the layout for Holiday Forest Pines focused on community spaces to offer residents an enriching and engaging social life. Improvements for these social spaces are the focus of this renovation as even more older adults are seeking an active lifestyle during retirement, the release stated. Residents will have more reasons to gather and enjoy the many benefits of a social community to their physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing.

One of the focuses of the renovation is to create an expanded fitness room to meet the needs of seniors working to maintain a more active lifestyle as they age, the release stated. The game lounge, living room with library, atrium and dining room will also receive extensive renovations. Other improvements include added A/V capabilities in all common areas, exterior enhancements, and energy-efficient lighting.

“For us, this will feel like an ‘extreme makeover’ to create new and enhanced ways for our residents to stay active, build new friendships and enjoy what inspires them,” said Jeremiah Pickens, general manager at Holiday Forest Pines, said in the release. “We know that living in a vibrant, social community like ours can translate to greater well-being in older adults.”

Older adults living at senior living communities like Holiday Forest Pines are shown to be less vulnerable to declining health outcomes, as found in a recent study from NORC at the University of Chicago, the release stated. The study highlights how social engagement, nutrition, access to fitness and other amenities like the ones found at Holiday Forest Pines are important factors for health outcomes of seniors.

“Our renovations at Holiday by Atria communities nationwide are designed to meet the demands of America’s aging population, as well as provide working environments to attract and retain talented employees,” said Michael Mejia, chief operating officer for Holiday by Atria, said in the release. “The renovation of Holiday Forest Pines is part of our ongoing commitment to put our residents in position to live their best lives, now.”

Holiday by Atria communities like Holiday Forest Pines are also guided by Atria’s established Quality Enhancement standards which includes high benchmarks for community operations including culinary and maintenance. “We are serious about investing in the quality of services we provide our residents,” said Sean Purser, Atria’s chief quality officer, said in the release. “We developed our quality program years ago and use it to make sure we do everything the right way.”