One of Brampton’s biggest long-term care facilities is getting a significant change in the form of a new “health and wellness village”.
Peel Manor, which is located near one of the city’s health clusters, received the goahead from the region for construction of a new facility beside the building, starting later this year. The new building is set to be completed in 2021 at an approved budgeted cost of $115.6 million, whereupon residents living in the current Peel Manor can move to the new facility.
Once complete, the current building will be demolished to make way for a new community park space, as part of the Murray Street Park, that will be completed in 2022. Brampton Ward 1&5 regional councillors Paul Vicente and Rowena Santos, who both live in the area where the current building is located, said Tuesday morning that they were pleased to see the initiative moving forward.
“We have made an important investment in long term care and seniors,” said Vicente. “With this new Seniors Health and Wellness Village, we can continue to depend on Peel Manor to deliver the high level of care that meets the changing needs of our growing city.”
The announcement follows the 2017 approval of a zoning and official plan amendment by Brampton council to allow for the redevelopment of the site, a collaboration between the city and the region.
The project was initiated as a result of the Manor reaching the end of its current lifespan, having needed significant improvements. Built in 1898, the home has been in constant operation since then, and currently offers 177 beds, an enhanced Adult Day Services program with a capacity for up to 100 clients a day and an eight-bed short-stay unit for overnight respite care.
The project will increase the current configuration’s capacity, and will add living space for those with specialized needs. Additional adult day service will also be available, with 60 spaces available to serve 75-100 participants each day over various shifts. In an interview with Peel Weekly News in 2017, former city economic development director Bob Darling said that the redevelopment “shows how health partnerships can contribute to employment and improve quality of life in Brampton.”
The re-imagined Murray Street Park will feature senior friendly active outdoor spaces and walking paths, and will create greater connectivity to and from the seniors’ hub. It will also end up slightly larger than its current configuration. The new building will be placed less than two kilometres away from the area the City is envisioning as a health cluster around the new Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness.
A recent study outlined a core strategy to build on existing strengths in the health and life sciences sector with forward looking thinking and technology advancements. Long-term outcomes of a health cluster development include: a better quality of life in Brampton based on more and higher-paying jobs, smart growth within the downtown centre, and advancing the City’s global reputation for innovation and excellence.
“(The Wellness Village) will provide the preventative and flexible support that our seniors need to help in their independence and provide opportunities to socialize,” said Santos.
