Eighty-five years after the forerunner of Richfield was founded, more than 300 invited guests, team members and residents witnessed a historic groundbreaking to build new home-like living areas for older people.

The future skilled nursing facility will be the first “household model” in the Roanoke Valley, according to President and CEO, George Child. Child was one of the speakers at the May 1 event on the campus on West Main Street just south of the Salem City limits.

“We want to show you some wonderful changes,” Richfield Living Board of Director’s Chair Melinda Payne told the crowd gathered under a tent outside The Oaks assisted living residence.

The initial buildings in the $58-million “Project Home” should be completed by 2020, leaders promise, with 140 new independent living apartments and villas and a Town Center around the lake on the side where the Recovery and Care Center is now located.

After a new home-like skilled nursing facility is built, nursing care residents will move and the RCC will be torn down. A second skilled nursing center with 116 beds is planned on a new Roanoke City campus on Mecca Drive which will start construction later this summer.

The Salem skilled nursing building with 150 beds will replace the oldest building on the Richfield campus where 305 people are now cared for. It’s the only one 92-year-old retired pharmacist Ray Byrd remembers being on the campus when he first delivered prescriptions there. He and his wife, Nina, were among those gathered for the May 1 event.

The entire project should take three years, Richfield leaders said.

Richfield’s predecessor, Mercy House and then in 1968, renamed McVitty House, was a care facility on a farm from 1934 to 1967. Fifty years ago, the board of directors “faced some decisions whether to decelerate and close the doors in a few years,” Child said, “or build a state-of-the-art facility.”

They chose to go forward, and the “new” nursing care center was built in 1971 on the site of the original farm house set on 280 acres. Richfield now has two independent living apartment buildings, thirteen cottages, two assisted living residences, the RRC and The Rehab Center, which has 39 private rooms.

According to Child, the new plans will set Richfield apart from other assisted living facilities by “expanding independent living offerings…and become a more attractive and financially-sound option for seniors looking to transition to retirement community living.”

Martha Hooker, vice chair of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, talked about the community impact Richfield’s history with Roanoke County. She summarized its history, and applauded Richfield leaders today for “right-sizing your campus to provide home-like living.”

“It will,” Hooker said, “pave the way for the next 85 years.”

Cherie Grisso, Richfield Living’s CFO whom Child put in charge of Vision 2020 four years ago, introduced team members who range from leaders of the 500-member staff, to architect and construction firms.

Cottage resident Jim Maddex spoke about what the 600-resident Richfield had meant to him, and to his father before him who also lived there. He said residents are generally in favor of the changes on the campus, although “Older people don’t much care for change.”

“We’re excited and enthusiastic about the participation,” he said, explaining that Grisso and her team kept residents up to date on plans. “I’ve never encountered a staff that is more resident centered than the leadership team here at Richfield.”

Richfield Chaplain Gary Kingery said a prayer, asking God to “throw blessings over all of us,” praying for the safety of the construction workers, and thanking the board and visionaries on the team.

Residents, staff and people in the community could watch the entire groundbreaking program on Facebook Live, and via closed-circuit video supplied by Tonya Parks of Richfield’s IT department, inside the air-conditioned comfort of The Alleghany Room in The Oaks.

They could also see the actual groundbreaking across the lake, outside the RCC, where 15 gold-painted shovels were lined up in front of heavy construction equipment. The first to turn dirt included Salem City Councilmember Bill Jones, Melinda Payne, George Child, Roanoke County Administrator Dan O’Donnell, Assistant Administrator Richard Caywood and other Richfield and local leaders.

Afterward, architects and contractors and others involved in the planning and building took turns with shovels for photo opportunities, followed by team members taking turns digging a little dirt.

Richfield Living will raise funds to assist in offsetting costs, Senior Director of Marketing and Philanthropy Lisa Clause said. People interested in making tax-deductible contributions should contact Clause at lclause@richfieldliving.com. For more information on the plans, visit www.RichfieldLiving.com