Shepherd Breaks Ground on $31M Senior Living Complex

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio – After several years of planning, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Retirement Services broke ground Wednesday for one of the largest developments the community has seen in decades – a $31 million senior living complex that officials say encourages additional development in the township.

“We’re about seven weeks into the project,” said Rich Limongi, Shepherd executive director, as earth movers and heavy machinery prepared the site along Tibbetts Wick Road. “We’re really excited.”

The first phase of the project consists of construction of a skilled nursing center on 18 acres of the 55-acre site, Limongi said. The skilled nursing component would consist of 79 private rooms and a rehabilitation center, he said.

A second building planned for the development is a commons facility, which includes a chapel, a large dining area, and a wellness center.

The third phase of the project is an assisted living and congregate apartment complex, Limongi noted. The building will house 60 assisted living units on the second floor – 30 of them traditional apartments while the other 30 units would be dedicated to residents requiring memory care.

Limongi said the company’s analysis showed those in need of dementia care are underserved in the Mahoning Valley, and this development is Shepherd’s first venture into the memory-care market. The third building would include another 30 apartments on the first floor reserved for those who are able to live independently, but may also require additional help such as housekeeping, meal preparation and health check-ins from the facility’s nursing staff.

Pictured: Randy Baker, principle, Baker Bednar Snyder & Associates Inc.; Greg Ferrence, senior vice president, First National Bank; Arnie Clebone, Liberty Township Trustees; Pat Was, member, Shepherd of the Valley board of directors; Rich Limongi, Shepherd executive director; Tony Amatore, Shepherd executive president; Rick Mattix, future associate director, Liberty Shepherd of the Valley; Dan Polivka, Mauro Cantalamessa and Frank Fuda, Trumbull County commissioners; and Joe DeSalvo, president, DeSalvo Construction.

Shepherd is targeting a grand opening for late spring of 2020. Once complete, the complex would create about 200 jobs.

The location proved ideal for the project, Limongi said, since it is positioned just east of the state Route 11/Tibbetts Wick interchange and west of state Route 193, which enables easy access from Girard, Hubbard, Brookfield, Youngstown and McDonald. “When loved ones come in, it’s all about access,” he said. “We found that there is a need in this area for these types of services.”

Hubbard-based DeSalvo Construction is building the 110,475-square-foot complex, while Baker, Bednar, Snyder and Associates, based in Howland, was selected as the project architect.

“I am thrilled that this is finally coming to fruition,” said Township Trustee Jodi Stoyak. “We have an aging community in the Youngstown area, and this serves a purpose so people can age in grace. This will be a beautiful facility.”

Stoyak said the project is a signal that development in the township is again taking hold after several years of inactivity. “We’ve seen a drought, but things are moving along. We see development along Belmont Avenue, and we’re excited about it.”

Township Administrator Pat Ungaro said critical infrastructure improvements that were made possible with the assistance of the Trumbull County Engineer’s office helped this project move forward. “Putting the sewer line out here opens the whole area for development,” he said. “You don’t get development with septic tanks.”

Ungaro said he’s noticed that banks are more willing to finance more projects, allowing small retail and restaurant development to take place in the township. “This is going to be great for economic development in Liberty,” he said. The Shepherd project is “a home run for us.”

Pictured at top: Rick Mattix, future director of the complex, and Rich Limongi, executive director, Shepherd of the Valley.

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