Moving Mercy Forward – Part II

September 1, 2021

Mercy Retirement & Care Center

The Stahl Companies Team provides Construction Project Management and Transition Planning services for the MRCC expansion and modernization project. We are delighted to also participate as a donor to the Moving Mercy Forward Campaign, for the health of our communities.


The Mercy Revitalization Project – Donor Report

– Elder Care Alliance

This summer report brought very BIG fundraising news!  Your generous contribution to the Moving Mercy Forward Capital Campaign is already bringing accessibility and quality of life to Mercy residents and ensures that Mercy will continue to provide compassionate care for our cherished elders for decades ahead.

Moving Mercy Forward Capital Campaign Update:

Exciting news!  The Moving Mercy Forward Capital Campaign has exceeded the stretch $5M goal!  As of August 25th, the campaign raised $5,019,000.  We are so thankful to each campaign donor.  In the beginning of the campaign, our planning consultant forecast that we could raise $3M, and suggested an outside target at $5M.  When COVID-19 hit in early 2020 the campaign had raised just over $2M, but since that time many generous donors recognized that Mercy needed help to bring transformative change to the seniors we serve.  When Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation issued a $500,000 capstone challenge to Mercy to help us reach our $5M goal, leadership donors increased previous donations, such as CommonSpirit Health raising their total donation to an extraordinary and historic $1 million.  New donors to the campaign gave many gifts in a wide range of amounts.  With awe and gratitude, we hope that in the years ahead you will experience much joy when you see and hear about the wonderful difference your gift makes in the lives of Mercy elders.

CommonSpirit Health has a long history of partnership and shared mission with Mercy Retirement and Care Center, stretching back to its origins as Catholic HealthCare West.  CommonSpirit Health has selected three named areas, which are spread throughout Mercy’s five-acre campus:

  • CommonSpirit Health Chapel
  • CommonSpirit Health Grocery Store
  • CommonSpirit Health Conference Room

This adds to the previous list of named areas:

  • The Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Lobby
  • The Sabatte Family Memory Care Neighborhood
  • The Denise Allen Sunken Patio
  • The Melford and Patricia Chudacoff Wellness Room
  • The Sr. Diane Grassilli Art Studio
  • The Edward and Elizabeth Kozel Library
  • The Rev. Ted and Betty Iverson Memory Care Country Kitchen

With construction still underway, and since there are some project construction cost overruns due to COVID-19, we have increased our campaign fundraising goal to $5,750,000.  At this time, we have three foundation grant requests under consideration, which we hope will move us closer to our new goal, but even if all three fund at the full amount requested it will not fully meet our need.  If you have not done so already and might consider increasing your gift or pledge, please contact Natalie Brown, Development Director, at 510-534-8547 ext. 322.  Referrals are also welcome, and Mercy project naming opportunities are still available.

Recent Mercy Revitalization Project Update

The beautiful new and expanded areas of The Mercy Revitalization Project invite residents out of their rooms and into the community, whether it be Mass in the CommonSpirit Health Chapel or a hula dance exhibition in the Denise Allen Sunken Patio.  The renovation has become a central and imperative factor in Mercy residents’ COVID-19 “shut down” resilience and recovery.

Floor Four: Earlier in August residents moved into the fourth floor, the first floor that has been renovated with in-room showers and kitchenettes in resident apartments.  The showers are equipped for residents with varying mobility concerns, providing ample handrails and a bench.  Lack of in-room showers is frequently at the top of the list of features that induced prospective residents to choose other communities over Mercy, so upgrading our 1960s style tower to include them has been a project priority.  In the studio apartments, the kitchenettes include a small refrigerator and microwave, which residents are already finding quite “handy”.  Residents in the dual apartments have a countertop that will make hospitality a breeze when friends or family visit.

A major goal of the project was to improve community spaces as well as individual spaces, so the common areas of the fourth floor also underwent renovation.

The original architectural features of the Assisted Living tower, such as tray ceilings and light-filled rooms, have been retained.  The common areas are now fitted for A/C, which will be activated once all six floors are completed.  The third elevator is another highly anticipated feature that will commence operations once the sixth floor is done.  The shaft was installed at the same time as the four-level parking structure addition.

Bishop Cummins Courtyard: We are overjoyed at the opening of the renovated Bishop Cummins Courtyard.  This centrally located area is one of the key places where Mercy comes together as a gathering place for Care Center, Assisted Living, and Memory Care residents before or after Sunday Mass, for various events, or visits with friends and family.  The smooth patio is wheelchair and walker accessible, and the fountain fills the air with soft and welcoming sound.  Lush and drought resistant, the native landscaping invites everyone outside.  Even before the furniture arrived residents could not wait to enjoy the sunshine of the August afternoon the day the courtyard opened.

Please contact Natalie Brown, Development Director, at natbrown@eldercarealliance.org or 510-534-8547 ext. 322, if you have any questions, comments, or are ready to visit Mercy for a project tour.

Current Phases of Work-In-Progress:

  • Fifth-floor renovation (similar to the fourth floor)
  • Parking area landscaping
  • CommonSpirit Grocery Store – set to open when current COVID-19 uptick subsides
  • Bistro Solarium with courtyard overlook
  • Care Center renovation

Major Milestone Ahead:

  • Assisted Living Tower renovation of all 6 floors and 3rd elevator operable
  • March 2022: Expected date of Mercy Revitalization Project completion 

 

Limiting Marketplace Competition

Recently, we were reading a news item regarding "Georgia lawmakers prepare to take on state rules that limit new hospital construction." It's a topic worthy...
READ MORE about Limiting Marketplace Competition

AHU in Flight

At our University of Southern California, NTT Building project, the crane pick for AHU #5 took place on 12/10/22. The existing roof unit was removed...
READ MORE about AHU in Flight