By Patrick Baron

BLOOMINGTON – The culmination of several years of planning is underway as Westminster Village is renovating and making additions to its facilities.

Westminster is currently expanding the Martin Health Center and is expected to complete that phase of the project by June, part of the organization’s $70 million expansion and renovation.

Westminster CEO Barbara Nathan said they are already preparing for the next phase of the expansion.

“We’re hoping that we’ll be building a new assisted living building, including memory care, and we have just started the architectural work for that,” Nathan explained.

Nathan hopes the new assisted living center will be completed by 2020. She explained renovating and expanding was the only logical choice, given the rising demographics in assisted living.

“There’s a growing need for senior living as we have an aging population,” said Nathan. “And our waiting list has only grown through the renovations that we’ve done to this point.”

At Westminster’s Village Center, the facility will see a new library, new resident meeting rooms, a club room, and build a new kitchen and a new wellness center. Nathan said Westminster strives to be a good steward for the people of Bloomington-Normal.

“We’re so blessed in this community to have great facilities, and we have so many different ones,” explained Nathan. “This is just Westminster doing its part to continue to be a great resource for seniors.”

Nathan also said Westminster hasn’t experienced a project like the current renovations and additions since the facility was built 39 years ago.

Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].