Upgrades to the pool are among the renovations planned for the Bon Air outpatient rehabilitation center operated by Sheltering Arms Institute. (Image courtesy Sheltering Arms)
A local physical therapy provider is kicking off capital projects at two of its largest facilities.
Sheltering Arms Institute expects to start next week on a $7 million renovation project at its Bon Air outpatient rehabilitation clinic, the organization’s CEO Alan Lombardo said in an interview.
The start of that project comes ahead of the anticipated start of a $25 million bed expansion of Sheltering Arms’ rehab hospital in Goochland’s West Creek.
Teed up for the Bon Air center at 206 Twinridge Lane are upgrades to the pool for aquatic therapy, as well as updated rehab technology, new HVAC equipment and increased accessibility for people using wheelchairs and walkers, among other improvements.
The facility provides occupational therapy, post-surgical recovery, speech therapy and amputee care among other services to nearly 30,000 patients annually.
Lombardo said that while the year-long project won’t expand the square footage of the center, plans to knock down interior walls and redesign the layout will make the center more efficient.
“(The center) hasn’t been updated in such a long time. There are a lot of inefficiencies in how the space is laid out,” he said.
Hummel Associates was tapped to handle the project’s architectural design. The project’s general contractor is J. A. Heisler. The $7 million renovation is funded by philanthropic giving and operating funds.
Sheltering Arms Institute occupies about 22,000 square feet of a 30,000-square-foot facility on Twinridge Lane. The rest of the building is occupied by VCU Health and is not part of the upcoming project.
The building dates to the early 1990s. It is owned by Sheltering Arms Corp., which founded the Institute as a joint venture with VCU Health.
Sheltering Arms Institute at 2000 Wilkes Ridge Drive in Goochland County. (BizSense file)
Just as renovations are in the works for the Bon Air center, a project to add 30 beds to the Sheltering Arms Institute hospital in Goochland is set to start in January.
Lombardo said the new beds would be located in existing, fourth-floor shell space in the 200,000-square-foot hospital at 2000 Wilkes Ridge Drive. After the project is complete, the hospital will have 144 beds.
Lombardo said the 4-year-old hospital is being expanded to keep up with demand for its inpatient services. He said patients come from across Virginia and many from out of state to receive care for brain injuries and neurological disorders and diseases.
“A third of our patients come from more than 60 miles away. That’s significant, and a reason why we’re committed to the expansion of the beds,” Lombardo said.
The project is anticipated to cost $25 million and is slated to be completed in October 2025. HDR is the project’s architect and Barton Malow is the general contractor.
The two projects come as part of a larger push to renovate all Sheltering Arms Institute’s eight outpatient centers in the region. Lombardo said the Bon Air center would be the fifth to be completed, and that the entire footprint is anticipated to be completed in the next couple years, with projects ranging from the relatively large-scale work planned in Bon Air to rebranding at smaller locations.
Sheltering Arms Institute also has outpatient clinics in eastern Henrico, western Henrico, near Scott’s Addition, Mechanicsville, near Moseley and Chester.
Lombardo said that the joint venture between Sheltering Arms and VCU Health is moving into a new phase to expand its operations since opening the Goochland hospital in 2020.
“I think that chapter two of our strategy is sustainable growth, how do we grow and provide more access to patients who need this important care,” he said.