Opening Day Celebration for Green House Residences

It's official. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Green House Residences at Stadium Place is now open for business! Three elders are now living at the Green House Residences. We received our operating license from the State of Maryland after a series of inspections and licensing surveys.

Opening Day celebration is tomorrow, April 19, 2012 at 1 pm. Governor Martin O'Malley will help us celebrate with many other dignitaries, including Donn Weinberg (The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation), Jack Sharp (GEDCO), Bill McCarthy (Catholic Charities), Terry Simonette (NCB Capital Impact) and Dr. Bill Thomas.

Construction Completion, Tours of the Green House Residences

Crews have been working hard the last 2 months to complete the interior and finishes of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Green House Residences at Stadium Place. The Hearth area, with fireplace and kitchen, are surely eye-catching and very different for a small home providing skilled nursing care.

After a series of inspections, we received our Occupancy Permit today!

We also submitted our request for First Use Review to the Maryland Health Care Commission today. We hope that the first elders will move into the first Green House model in the State of Maryland by the end of March.

Associated Catholic Charities will be the operator of the project. They have conducted a series of job fairs on the Stadium Place campus and have begun training the first group of Shahbazim, universal care workers who will provide loving care and companionship for the elders in the Green House Residences.

Please join us for an open house on Wednesday, February 8 from 7:30 - 9 am or Friday, February 10 from 3-6 pm. Please RSVP to Roxanne Fiddler at rfiddler@gedco.org if you plan to join us.

Moving - Hard Hat Tours

Construction of the building is gaining momentum, as the hardy board is installed outside and the drywall is hung and tiling is put into place inside. Here are some recent pictures, showing the front side with the elevator tower, and the back side with the large porch overlooking the playing field. The tile is being installed in the kitchen and the bathroom. Thanks to Gina, Jamarra, and Sally for all their hard work!

Please join us this Tuesday, December 6 at noon or Thursday, December 8 at noon for a hard hat tour of the first Green House model of long-term nursing care in Maryland. By next spring, the first elders will be moving into the Green House Residences at Stadium Place. If you plan to attend either tour, or need an alternate date, please email tgross@gedco.org.

Green House Residences - Construction Progress Moving Inside

After putting up the steel, the building team is moving inside to work on mechanical, plumbing and electrical lines. Bricklayers are busy on the outside, and windows are now installed around the building. One picture shows the front side of the Green House Residences with small porches next to the elevator shaft. To the right, Memorial Field at the Y/Ripken Field (on the site of the former Memorial Stadium). Top picture shows the labyrinth at ThanksGiving Place, the meditative open space at Stadium Place, as well as the independent living apartments.

Construction is scheduled to be complete in January, with elders moving into their new home in March, 2012.

Green House model Celebrations

Next week Green House adopters from around the nation will gather in Birmingham, Ala., Sept. 7-9 for the Fourth Annual Green House Meeting and Celebration. Many sessions will be broadcast live over the internet, including keynote addresses by Dr. Bill Thomas and Pioneer Network CEO Dr. Peter Reed and a panel of elders who live in Green House homes.

GEDCO, NCB Capital Impact and Catholic Charities, the operator of the Green House Residences, hosted a Community Orientation, Update and Celebration this week, to educate the Baltimore community about the Green House model and celebrate our progress. We expect to complete construction in January and open the building in March, 2012. See www.gedco.org/greenhouse for more information.

The concrete for the fourth floor is now in place. This picture shows the front of the building, with the front porch and hearth area to the left of the elevator shaft. Each floor or Residence will have a porch on each side of the building, to provide easy access to the outdoors. The hearth area and outdoor access are important features of this innovative model of long-term care.

The Building Takes Shape

The construction site is more and more busy these days, with deliveries of steel and equipment. The second floor has been poured, and the concrete blocks are in place for the elevator shaft and the north stairwell. In addition, conduits are being laid for various utilities.

The GEDCO team recently toured the lower level to view its new offices.

Pouring the first floor

After much preparation, the steel deck for the first floor was complete and the concrete was poured this week.