CLEARFIELD – On June 25, 2013, Colonial Courtyard of Clearfield was struck by lightning and burned in a four-alarm blaze, leaving the many residents homeless and staff without jobs.
The community and IntegraCare, the home company of Colonial Courtyard, stepped in and provided first temporary shelter and then new homes in other Colonial Courtyard locations for many until a new building could be constructed on Leonard Street in Clearfield.
Since then, the people of Clearfield have eagerly been awaiting the new facility. Sandy English, director of sales and marketing for Colonial Courtyard, gave an update on how things are progressing with the new building.
She noted they hope to be open again by the first of the year, but there are several factors affecting this. One is completion of construction, which should be this month. Then, the facility will have to apply for state licensing and how long that takes depends on many factors, but they expect the process to be easy, she said.
So far, 36 people have placed deposits for rooms at Colonial Courtyard, and some of those are returning residents, though English didn’t know exactly how many were planning to return. Also, she said they expect that 50 percent of the staff will return through the rehiring process.
According to English, there are 76 suites available in the new building, which will be about one-third larger than the previous facility. The number of residents that can be accommodated depends on living arrangements. Often, she said married couples want to rent a suite together; the number of suites also includes 17 in the secure memory care unit, which is for dementia patients.
She said that there will be new things for the residents to experience at the facility. An enclosed front porch, she said, is being constructed, and there will be a movie theater, courtyard and three fireplaces for residents to enjoy.
English said there will be additional safety features to prevent and prepare for another tragedy, including fire hydrants in the back of the building. She said there will also be a sprinkler system in the building, with sprinklers in each room. The safety features, English said, were presented at township planning meetings last year and approved.
Anyone who wishes to learn more about the new Colonial Courtyard can contact the office at 814-765-2246.
