The former Charles Morris Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Squirrel Hill will once again serve as a senior living home with a new look and vision.
The Jewish Senior Citizens Association, which owns the facility, says the long-standing facility is part of a planned development to expand living options in Pittsburgh while meeting the ever-changing needs of city residents.
“We are proud to provide such an incredible service for the seniors in our community,” said Jewish Senior Citizens Association President Louis Pran during last week’s annual meeting. “Our vision is to create a vibrant, inclusive community that supports seniors at every stage of aging.”
The meeting, held at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Shadyside, announced details of the project for the former nursing home, which closed in 2021, and the adjacent Weinberg Village Residences, which closed in 2022.
The Jewish consortium calls the project an “urban senior village.”
The entire project will likely cost about $50 million. Fundraising and loans helped cover the costs.
The campus will be renovated to include personal care residences and independent living facilities that will complement the Jewish Association for Aging’s AHAVA Memory Care Residences located in the Charles Morris Building.
Nearby, New Riverview Apartments, comprised of 191 recently renovated studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, will be part of this urban senior village.
Courtesy of Continental Development Ventures, pH7 Architects, and the Jewish Association on Aging
One of the renderings shows the entrance to the personal care facility, unveiled at the Jewish Association for Senior Citizens’ annual meeting Sept. 19 at Rodeph Shalom Congregation in Shadyside.
According to Plan, the personal care residences and independent living facilities will offer modern, comfortable living spaces with outdoor areas as well as a variety of social, spiritual and communal amenities, and will also include a synagogue for Shabbat and High Holiday services.
The cost of living in these homes has yet to be determined.
The urban senior village will complement the Jewish Association for Aging’s services, which include home health care. Mary Ann Foley, JAA’s president and CEO, said the team conducted 17,500 home health visits last year.
Some of that care will be intensive, the kind of care you’d find in a nursing home, Foley said. Shivitz Hospice, Molly’s Meals, physical therapy and care navigation are also some of the services the Jewish Aging Society will continue to provide, Foley said.
“This expansion will allow us to expand our home- and community-based services to support even more seniors,” Foley said. “By expanding both our residential and community-based services, we’re not only meeting the current needs of our community, but also preparing for the future demands of our aging population.”
The project will be completed in two phases.
The first effort will focus on reforming Charles Morris Hospital, which closed in January 2021 due to years of underfunding of Medicaid reimbursements, a statewide shift to home- and community-based care, and rising expenses and plummeting revenues caused by the 2020 pandemic.
The space will see the renovation of 30 residential units, scheduled for completion in late 2025.
Courtesy of Continental Development Ventures, pH7 Architects, and the Jewish Association on Aging
A rendering shows plans for an independent living complex the Jewish Senior Citizens Association will build as part of its urban senior village in Squirrel Hill.
The second phase will see the construction of a state-of-the-art independent living facility of approximately 60 units on the site of the former Wynberg Village Residences.
Pran said the survey identified a need for independent living and personal care. Combined, JAA will house nearly 350 residents on campus across all of its facilities.
“What really matters is what goes on inside the building,” Prang said. “It’s Jewish values. It’s caring and compassion. And that will never change. This is our next chapter.”
More info: jaapgh.org
Joan Klimovich Harrop is a Triblive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes feature stories about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
