Blakeford Senior Life Opens $75 Million Expansion and Renovation, Launches Foundation
April 26, 2024
NASHVILLE, TN — Blakeford Senior Life has completed its three-and-a-half-year long, $75 million community expansion and renovation on its Green Hills campus according to a press release.
To celebrate the grand opening, Blakeford has also announced the launch of the Blakeford Foundation to ensure that Blakeford’s programs and services continue to serve future generations of Nashville seniors.
The campus now offers a dedicated memory-care wing, new independent-living apartments, and a state-of-the-art fitness and aquatics center featuring smart gym equipment that is automatically personalized and adjusted to each senior with a tap of their access fob. The expansion and renovation also include new dining options and a cutting-edge physical therapy wing.
The expansion added approximately 175,000 square feet to the existing 300,000-square-foot campus. The expansion and renovation began in late 2020, with the first completed project being the new physical therapy space that opened in the spring of 2022. This was followed by the brand-new, memory-care wing that welcomed residents in the fall of 2022, and the four new dining options in the independent-living building that opened in July 2023. The independent-living aquatics center and upgraded staff amenities were the final projects to be completed for the grand opening. The full expansion provides space for 125 more residents and enhances the amenities provided to current and new residents, including hair salons, pet spas and an art studio.
As part of the grand opening celebration, Blakeford has announced the launch of its Blakeford Foundation. As one of Nashville’s only nonprofit providers of senior living services, Blakeford has created the Blakeford Foundation to ensure their services are available to Nashville seniors for generations to come. The foundation has three funds for benefactors to consider: The Healthcare Assistance Fund provides financial support to people who need Blakeford’s healthcare services but are not able to afford them; the Team Member Support Fund serves as financial support for team members who face unexpected hardships, such as an accident, home displacement, illness or loss of life; the Blakeford Tomorrow Fund helps fund future capital projects and programs to continue enhancing the lives of Blakeford residents, families and team members.
“As we wrap up this extensive project, we are excited to celebrate this new chapter of Blakeford with our residents and team, and share the new campus with everyone,” said Brian Barnes, CEO of Blakeford Senior Life. “We are proud to offer the highest quality of care across all levels, and the growth of our campus highlights our commitment to continuing to provide the best service to our residents, members, and their families. The Blakeford Foundation provides us with the opportunity to serve those in our community and beyond who may need our services and fund the continued growth of our organization’s mission.”
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With the physical expansion, Blakeford has also hired Brooke Binkley as its aquatics coordinator, joining the physical therapy team and overseeing the new aquatics center. Among other innovations, the pool is equipped with two in-pool HydroWorx treadmills for low-impact recovery and workouts.
Blakeford also hired Chris Akins, Dean Chadwick, and David Cobb to their dining services team as culinary director, executive chef, and pastry chef, respectively. Blakeford’s new dining features include a wood-fired hearth oven, a new fine dining restaurant named Luke’s, and a new outdoor kitchen with terrace seating. Additionally, Blakeford recently hired Cassie Gregg as its new move-in coordinator.
As part of the expansion and renovation, Blakeford added several new team spaces, including a private gym and new break room, dedicated to providing team members with a state-of-the-art workplace.
Showcasing its dedication to its team, Blakeford was also named one of Senior Care’s 2024 Best Places to Work under a new program from WeCare Connect—the industry leader in senior care surveys.
The addition of a new 147-person capacity ballroom, Blakeford Hall, has served as a home for unique resident events such as a “senior prom” and Valentine’s Day vow renewal. Blakeford’s WellLife team specializes in planning engaging events for residents on and off campus, such as speaker series and concert outings.
Blakeford at Green Hills will cut the ribbon and celebrate the grand opening of its renovation and expansion on Thursday, May 9, at its new independent-living building, surrounded by residents, their families, staff, neighbors, and local officials.
Established in 1996, Blakeford Senior Life is a not-for-profit provider of senior residential living and services, including Blakeford at Green Hills; Blakeford At Home, a licensed provider of non-medical caregiving services; and LiveWell By Blakeford.