Morning Pointe Assisted Living and Alzheimer's Memory Care Center held a well attended ground breaking this week. the facility will be constructed in 3 phases on 20 acres on the site of the Hixson family farm, next to the new Hixson Middle School and the Hixson High School.
The facility will cost $75 million to construct and should be open in Spring 1009.
The land has been in the Hixson family since the early 1800's when Ephraim and Houston Hixson settled near North Chickamauga Creek.
Several local dignitaries spoke at the ground breaking. They spoke about the great need for quality retirement assisted living centers and for alzheimer's facilities. Additionally they spoke about the growing recognition of Chattanooga as a preferred home for the active retired community, and their large economic impact.
Mayor Claude Ramsey praised the Choose Chattanooga program for its success in establishing Chattanooga as a city of choice for retirees. Mayor Ramsey described the active retirees as "educated, and having good disposable income."
Tom Edd Wilson, President of the Chamber of Commerce, praised the developer, Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC (IHP), a Chattanooga based company founded by Greg Vital and Franklin Farrow. The company has developed more than 30 assisted living communities in the Southeast.
The entire campus is called Greenbriar Cove agt North Chickamauga Creek. Morning Pointe will be an assisted living residence and an Alzheimer's care center. Two other phases will be a 120 bed skilled nursing and rehagilitation center, and a 150 apartment independent living retirement complex on the bluff overlooking North Chickamauga Creek. The entire campus will be surrounded by a greenway and walking trails.
Sally Brewer from the Alzheimer's Association spoke at the ground breaking. She said that Alzheimer's has now become the 6th leading cause of death in the US, surpassing diabetes. In Tennessee, there are 20,000 new Alzheimer's patients each year. The new facility will help families deal with the care giving and emotional demands that can be so overwhelming for families.
Last weekend Ms Brewer and the Alzheimer's Association held its annual Memory Walk at AT&T Field.
The Hixson family was well represented by Carol Hixson and her father Sherman Hixson and several other members of the Hixson family. Carol Hixson spoke for the family about their memories living on the family site. She said they are excited about the vision for the retirement campus.
One of the concessions that the new owners have made is to maintain the old Hixson barn on the site. It was carefully taken down and will be reassembled on the site to maintain a tie to the history of the area and to the family that gave its name to the Hixson community.
The Hixson High School band played the National Anthem and performed the Hixson High Wildcats fight song.
Greg Vital President of Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC speaks at Morning Pointe groundbreaking.
Richard Smith
American Acceptance Mortgage, Inc
Toll Free 888-474-9920 Cell 423-280-0345
Home financing in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
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