Dignitaries from the Knoxville area will join Morning Pointe Senior Living leaders on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 11:30 a.m., to break ground on the new The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence at Hardin Valley.
The Lantern at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley will be the 40th Morning Pointe Senior Living community and the 24th in Tennessee. Other area campuses are located in Knoxville, Clinton, Powell and Lenoir City.
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the property at 2433 Reagan Road in Knoxville.
The build will be Phase II of the senior living campus offering a continuum of care services along with Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley, which will transition to an assisted living-only community.
The new single-level memory care community will be an estimated 45,000 square feet and feature 60 apartments.
These will encompass two levels of care – Lamplight for early stages of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and Lantern for the more advanced stages.
The Lantern is anticipated to open in early 2025.
The campus is located down the street from Pellissippi State and is centrally located between Oak Ridge and West Knoxville.
Programming at the new building will adhere to Morning Pointe’s strong focus on clinical care with physical and occupational therapies, life enrichment and wellness offerings and intergenerational activities. It will also feature Morning Pointe’s Farm to Table program with local, farm-fresh and seasonal ingredients.
“Morning Pointe is excited to be expanding its services in the Hardin Valley community of Knoxville,” said Greg A. Vital, president of Morning Pointe Senior Living. “As our population ages and as the Knoxville area grows, the need for care for our seniors in the region continues to grow with it – whether it be a need for assisted living or for memory care. We are pleased to be able to serve more seniors in East Tennessee, and their families, as we know that the families of those with Alzheimer’s and other memory challenges especially need support and reassurance that their loved ones are safe and cared for by compassionate professionals.”
Founded in 1996 by healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states. In the Tennessee Valley, Morning Pointe communities are located in Chattanooga, Hixson, East Hamilton and Collegedale, with Morning Pointe at Happy Valley opening soon in Walker County.
The new Lantern at Morning Pointe of Hardin Valley will create approximately 60 permanent healthcare positions and is estimated to have a positive economic impact of more than $25 million annually, considering payroll, property taxes and local purchase of goods and services, officials said.