Schwebel Foundation Provides Lead Gift for Heritage Manor Expansion

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A $3.5 million expansion at the Heritage Manor Rehabilitation and Retirement Community was unveiled Friday along with the largest monetary gift to fund the project.

The addition of 12 private rooms at the Heritage Manor was led by the Schwebel Family Foundation, officials said. Located on Gypsy Lane, the new space will be named the Schwebel Family Foundation Wing and is dedicated in memory of Paul Schwebel.

Heritage Manor is an agency of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.

“This represents a great investment in our future. We’re going to be able to offer all private rooms with private bathrooms, putting us on the front edge of nursing facility design,” said Eric Murray, executive director of senior services.

Construction of the three-phase project began in May.

Phase I, the Schwebel Family wing, is anticipated to be completed by February. The addition is 7,800 square -eet, with each room about 250 square-feet, Murray said.

Phase II consists of the expansion of rehabilitation space and then the third phase will eliminate all shared bathrooms, converting semi-private rooms to hospice suites, he said.

The entire project is expected to be completed in 2023. The general contractor is the DeSalvo Construction Co. in Hubbard.

Currently 72 beds are housed at Heritage Manor, as well as a dedicated nurses’ station and a family dining room.

Paul Schwebel was heavily involved with the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and its agencies. He served in various roles, including as vice president and treasurer on the Federation board, and was also a member of different committees.

The Schwebel Family Foundation gave more than was asked, said Samie Winick, a trustee of the foundation.

“The reason we wanted to do the wing, we learned so much particularly during COVID-19, how having privacy was life-saving,” Winick said. “We saw this as a wonderful opportunity to make an investment to offer first-class, world-class care for the residents in a new and beautiful facility that’s also safe.”

The family and the foundation decided not to announce the amount of the monetary gift. Seventy other donors helped to fund the $3.5 million project, Jewish Federation administration said.

The expansion will providing privacy for communicating with medical staff as well as visiting family and friends.

Heritage Manor has operated at its Gypsy Lane location since 1965. The nonprofit offers health, housing, social and spiritual services, guided by Jewish values and traditions.

Pictured at top: Recognition of the Schwebel Family Foundation gift took place Friday outside the construction site. From left: Eric Murray, executive director of the Youngstown Jewish Federation; Bonnie Burdman and Lisa Long, Youngstown Area Jewish Federation; Alyson and Samie Winick, trustees of the Schwebel Family Foundation; Joey Leenheer, family member and daughter Juliet; Lee Schwebel, family member; Jana Leenheer, Paul Schwebel’s daughter, and her daughter Ilyana.

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