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HOLDEN, Mass. — Excitement is in the air at Oriol Health Care as the long-awaited renovation and addition of Holden Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center officially began on Monday, but during the construction project residents are advised to avoid jogging or walking through the property for their own safety.
"The hum of the machines is music to our ears after years of planning!" said Deb Westerback, director of community relations at Oriol Health Care.
Developing the former Holden Hospital site, the current project will consolidate two of Oriol's facilities — Holden Nursing Home and Wachusett Extended Care — into one state-of-the-art building.
The new Holden rehab center will have three nursing units: long term care, sub-acute rehabilitation care, and respitory care. The lower level of the new facility will house corporate facilities, and have a state-of-the-art kitchen.
Yet now that the project has started, residents are advised that the site is now considered a construction area and is not suitable for casual walks at this time.
"Many people have found our Mayo Drive and Boyden Road properties a great place to walk their dogs and take a stroll or jog through the back parking lot," explained Westerback. "The safety of our staff, families and the visiting public are a priority to us. At this time, we are asking the general public to avoid walking between the Mayo Drive entry way through the access road to the former Holden Hospital property."
Throughout the process, however, pedestrian walkways will be created for staff and visitor use.
"Our parking lot surrounding the Medical Arts Building near Wachusett Extended Care on Boyden Road will not be affected during this process," Westerback added.
