County officials gathered recently to break ground on a long-sought additional wing to Lehigh County’s Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab complex near Dorney Park in Allentown.

The blue-sky morning ceremony was threatened by a stiff breeze that knocked over tripod-mounted architectural renderings of the proposed facility; however, the resourceful staff soon had the several tripods weighted solidly to the asphalt of the parking lot.

Lehigh County Commission President Geoff Brace expressed the general elation at seeing the long talked about project at the ground-breaking stage.

“This endeavor spans over a decade,” said Brace. “Thanks Rich Molchany, Executive Phil Armstrong, Jason Camello (the current administrator for Cedarbrook), and (former) County Commissioners Amanda Holt and Brad Osborne.” Brace also thanked former County Executive Tom Muller his leadership. Muller has been credited with stopping the hard-right conservatives which in a previous administration had pursued the idea of selling Cedarbrook.

Brace also thanked the taxpayers of Lehigh county.

“Cedarbrook has enjoyed bi-partisan support,” said Brace. “It is a moral obligation.”

According to the project’s architect, Micheal Allen-Hall the Vice President of Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc., the 142,500 square foot, four story building will cost about $54 million.

He said construction plans are “on schedule” and are pending “final permits.”

The addition will have room for 240 single occupant “nursing rooms,” each with its own “European” shower, according to Allen-Hall. He said a European shower is one that a wheelchair-bound resident could maneuver into.

The Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehab facility is spread over two campuses. One is in Allentown, which is getting the new wing, and the other is in Fountain Hill.

Between the two campuses are 670 beds. The new addition, while accommodating 240 beds, will not add to the total because the new facility will allow those beds to be moved into the new wing. The old rooms, which are housed in very old buildings, some dating back to 1845, will be converted to administrative use.

The old standard of four residents to a room is being phased out and replaced by a one resident to each room.

“Four to a room makes no sense,” said Lehigh County Facilities Director Richard Molchany in remarks at the dedication.

The Allentown campus will have 473 beds according to Molchany.

“It’s about our most vulnerable residents,” said Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, addressing the crowd of mostly employees and political leaders.

He said the nursing home has a “four-star rating.”

Commissioner Dan Hartzell, the commissioner who acts as liaison between Cedarbrook and the Board of Commissioners also recognized former commissioners Nate Brown, David Jones and Marty Nothstein for their support of the project.

Hartzell read a letter from the son of a woman who had recently died while a resident of the nursing home in which the son expressed gratitude for the loving, respectful care that his mother had received while with Cedarbrook.

“That’s why we are doing this,” said Hartzell.

Commissioner Percy Dougherty said, “I thought I would never see the day [that the new wing would be built.]”

“Tomorrow is than today to build this addition,” said Cedarbrook Director Jason Camello.

He said COVID may be with us for a long time and that supply chain and labor force problems notwithstanding, “[Waiting until] tomorrow is not an option.”

Resident of Cedarbrook Jean Larison maneuvered her wheel chair from its place in the row of dignitaries to deliver perhaps the most memorable speech for the occasion. She put her sentiments into verse.

“So, when I could no longer remain on my own/ Cedarbrook was the only place I felt I could call home./I’m happy here and have seen many changes/But this new wing is the biggest one yet./As President of the Resident Council, I’ve had the privilege to cut ribbons before/ But now the groundbreaking will make memories galore.”