Richmond Lions Manor rebuild slated for Steveston

It’s official, VCH Richmond is now one step closer toward building a new, publicly funded care home in Steveston, at 11771 Fentiman Place, on the former  site of the old Lions Manor.

The new 144-bed facility will help address current and future demand for residential care services in Richmond. A project plan has been approved that paves the way for rezoning discussions with the City of Richmond as well as community engagement and refinement of project costs.

“A new purpose-built facility will improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes for individuals throughout Richmond requiring complex residential care,” said Jennifer MacKenzie, Chief Operating Officer for VCH Richmond. “It will be particularly important for those with cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Our hope is to create an aging-in-place campus for seniors with different care needs.”

More than residential care

VCH will also seek partners to help develop a community where adults can age in place on the site. While VCH will operate the residential care beds, other organizations will be invited to submit proposals to add other levels of care, such as independent and/or assisted living.

The work by VCH will help refine the business plan so it can advance through the provincial capital approval process. Once approved by the provincial government, the project would proceed to procurement and construction.

Out with the old

The original Richmond Lions Manor on Fentiman Place was a seven-storey facility built in 1972. Deterioration of the building and its systems resulted in physical and functional obsolescence, necessitating its closure in 2014 when residents were relocated to Richmond Lions Manor-Bridgeport. The old building was demolished a year later.

“It was always our hope that we could redevelop something new and exciting on the same site,” MacKenzie said. “VCH looked at several other possible locations across Richmond—including three in Steveston—but the Fentiman Place site, despite its challenges, was the most suitable site available.”

The intent of the project is to provide additional residential care beds within Richmond to address current and future residential care needs and enable more appropriate bed utilization within acute care services at Richmond Hospital.

More beds across Richmond

In addition to this project, last year VCH signed two agreements that will add a total of 210 additional new residential care beds in Richmond.

The Trellis Group will build and operate a 135-bed facility on the Hamilton Lands in east Richmond that is scheduled to open in 2019. Fraserview, a member of the Kaigo Seniors Living Group, will redevelop and expand by 75 beds.

The completion date for that project is 2020.