A construction employee installs wallpaper at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga
Five months after sustaining significant damage in the Easter night tornado, Morning Pointe of Chattanooga is set to reopen as a completely rebuilt assisted living community in late fall.
Morning Pointe of Chattanooga and its sister community, The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, were deemed uninhabitable shortly after the tornado devastated the East Brainerd community in April. Residents were safely evacuated to local hotels with no major injuries and, ultimately, relocated to nearby Morning Pointe campuses, as rebuilding efforts for both Morning Pointe of Chattanooga and The Lantern began in earnest.
Construction on Morning Pointe of Chattanooga is now 85 percent complete as contractors are putting the finishing touches on a $6-million-dollar investment into rebuilding this flagship community. The walls were completely stripped of sheetrock, insulation and wiring, and flooring removed to make way for an entirely new building. “When residents move back in this fall, they will notice a sense of familiarity—but at the same time, everything from the floor to the ceilings is brand new,” said Community Relations Director Emily Thibodeau.
Cody Harvey, RN, executive director of Morning Pointe of Chattanooga, agrees. “While we are social distancing, wearing masks and following strict safety protocols for our residents and associates, there is still a lot of wonderful engagement and activity happening every day from creative arts, music, window and drive-through family visits, virtual family nights—plus frequent FaceTime calls.”
Originally opened in 2015, Morning Pointe of Chattanooga is a 62,000-square-foot assisted living community of 77 apartments occupying a 10-acre site located between Gunbarrel Road and Jenkins Road. Morning Pointe of Chattanooga is one of 35 Morning Pointe assisted living and The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence communities in five southeastern states developed, owned and managed by Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC, a Chattanooga-based senior healthcare services company founded in 1996 by Tennessee healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow.
“The Morning Pointe of Chattanooga campus is rebuilding stronger than ever before, rising from the ashes of the Easter night tornado to continue to serve the seniors of East Brainerd and the greater Chattanooga community at large,” said Greg A. Vital, president of Morning Pointe Senior Living. “We would not be where we are today without the resilience of Morning Pointe’s associates, the support of state and local officials and, of course, the hard-working construction teams. We are Morning Pointe Strong.”
Renovations to The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence are progressing as scheduled. Repairs to the memory care community are expected to be completed in summer 2021.
In addition to Morning Pointe of Chattanooga, Morning Pointe Senior Living also operates communities in the Chattanooga areas of East Hamilton, Hixson and Collegedale.
Call 423-296-0097 today to learn more about Morning Pointe of Chattanooga.
Morning Pointe of Chattanooga Executive Director Cody Harvey, RN, left, and Community Relations Director Emily Thibodeau, right, pose in front of the renovated Morning Pointe of Chattanooga building.