Housing and healthcare professionals today marked a major milestone in the delivery of a new £3.3million facility in Greenisland.
Developed by Choice Housing in partnership with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Greenisland House will provide 32 new state-of-the-art homes and care services for older people when it is competed in spring 2017.
Community representatives joined both organisations for a hardhat tour of the Shore Road site and viewed the final roof beam being set in place just 18 months after work started on the development.
Hazel Bell, Chair of Choice Housing said:
“Work on this site has progressed at a rapid pace and we’ve wasted no time in getting construction to such an advanced stage. We are committed to ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens are given exactly the same opportunities as everyone else to live independent lives. This new scheme is about doing that and more. Today is an important milestone for us and for the people who will ultimately benefit from the new homes in this area.
“In meeting the needs of older people, we deliver our best outcomes by working in partnerships that augment and maximise our abilities. Support from Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Department for Communities and NIHE Supporting People teams is invaluable. We look forward to opening this new scheme next year.”
Bob McCann, Chair, Northern Health and Social Care Trust said:
“We have now passed the half-way point in the construction phase which is on course to be completed early next year. That’s a great credit to Choice, the architect and the contractor. Though this scheme shares its name with the old facility it is replacing, it will bring a new approach and will play an important role in allowing people in the Greenisland and Newtownabbey area to retain their independence and remain part of their community.”
The scheme, designed by RPP Architect with M.J. McBride Construction Ltd appointed as project contractor, is funded through a mix of private financing secured by Choice Housing and grants from the Department for Communities.
