Messiah Lifeways completes $80M campus expansion project

Messiah Lifeways will unveil its new-look Messiah Village campus in Cumberland County this weekend, following an $80 million expansion project.

Messiah Lifeways CEO Curt Stutzman stands by the interactive scale model of Village Square in 2015. - (File)

The faith-based nonprofit is planning to host a grand opening with guided tours of recent changes at the continuing care retirement community in Upper Allen Township. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Messiah Lifeways started the expansion, known as Project Envision, at Messiah Village in the fall of 2015 to better meet the "changing needs of future generations and their families." It's the first phase of a 20-year campus expansion and improvement effort at Messiah Village.

The largest component of the project is Village Square, a sprawling building with 84 apartments, wellness and enrichment centers, a campus day spa, welcome center and two new dining options for residents. The new restaurants are called Kathryn's on the Square and Cafe 100.

To make way for Village Square, 16 old cottages were demolished.

A personal care apartment building called Hopewell, also part of the recent expansion, adds 26 additional apartments to the campus. That project also includes outdoor spaces and a dining room, plus easy access to Village Square via a connecting bridge.

Last summer, Messiah Lifeways opened two new skilled nursing buildings, Greenwood and Engle, that each house 16 residents. The two buildings feature private suites, a growing trend among long-term care facilities.

Messiah Lifeways served nearly 3,000 people last year through its wellness and enrichment services. About 750 people live at Messiah Village.