News Of Kendal

December 2009

Resident Art Display

Next time you visit Kendal, be sure to tour the new art display located near the entrance to the south apartment building.  The display is absolutely wonderful, featuring art by Kendal residents.  The display will change every other month and features photography, architectural drawings, paintings, knitting, weaving and stained glass. 

September 2009

Art Studio Opens

This fall we are very excited to have an art studio open in Sunnyside House!  Residents have arranged for local artists to teach classes in the new studio.  In fact, a Kendal Resident, Lee Watson, teaches some of the classes.  Very soon we hope to have some of the artwork on display!

June 2009

Phase II Dedication and Community Open House

June 15, 2009, marked the completion of the Phase II expansion with a special dedication ceremony followed by a community open house the following day.  Kendal at Lexington residents and staff, Kendal Corporate staff and local community members took part in the dedication. Speakers included John Diffey, President of the Kendal Corporation, Steve Jewell, Executive Director of Kendal at Lexington, Mimi Elrod, Mayor of Lexington, and Hardin Marion, Kendal at Lexington Board Chair.  Phil Young, Kendal Resident, gave the invocation and the Rev. Tom Crittenden, provided the benediction.  Special entertainment was provided by Kendal Singers. 

The community open house provided guests the opportunity to tour community spaces and apartment and cottage homes.  Amenie Schweizer provided tours of her new 1725 square foot two bedroom with den apartment.  Louise Pope, opened her original 1320 square foot apartment, which also offers two bedrooms with den.  History Sunnyside House is a featured view from her enclosed balcony.  Sid and Mary Coulling and Jack and Caroline Hemmings’ cottages were also included on the tour.  Their cottages are part of our cluster-cottages and are both two bedrooms with den floor plans.  Three of the new Sycamore Lane cottages were open for tours.  Our model cottage, 1500 square foot with two bedrooms, furnished and decorated by local interior decorator, Merrie Gayle McNemar, was featured, as were Peyton and Mary Craighill’s 1300 square foot duplex and Matt and Mary Raine Paxton’s 2000 square foot cottage.  Over 70 individuals attended the event!

As you may recall, the Phase II expansion project included the addition of 35 cottages, 14 apartments, a restaurant, an auditorium and a fitness center, which offers an indoor pool, equipment room, massage studio and classroom.  As part of the project, the Anderson Center and original dining area were both renovated.  The Anderson Center now offers a much larger library with comfortable sitting areas and a library table for projects.  The dining area renovations provided for more made-to-order meals, including a grill and hearth oven.  Other features of the dining area renovation included a coffee and dessert station and a small grocery area that offers locally made cheeses, quarts of milk, bread and wine.   

May 2009

Borden Center Sunroom Complete

We are pleased to announce the completion of the Borden Center Sunroom project. The 670 square foot addition was designed by the Lexington architecture firm Kirchner & Associates and made possible through the generous contributions of many organizations and individuals, including the Cabell Foundation Grant reported on last year. The sunroom will be used for additional activity space for a variety of programs. Already residents are enjoying the room, which provides gorgeous views of the community.

February 2009

Fitness Center Opens

Friday, February 13, 2009, 4:30 p.m., was the official date and time for a ribbon cutting for our new Fitness Center. This 7900 square foot addition offers an indoor pool that is 50 feet long and 24 feet wide, with depth from 3.5 to 5 feet. The Fitness Center also includes private showers and changing rooms, an exercise classroom, a fitness equipment/strength training room, and a massage studio. 

The pool features a salt chlorination water sanitizing system, which is expected to be gentler on skin than more typical chlorine-based systems. The building is designed with extensive windows to bring abundant natural light inside.  The center will provide a spa-like setting where residents of the community can participate in structured group activities or simply exercise on their own.  Recent studies have documented extensive benefits of exercise for older adults, even for those who had not exercised regularly earlier in their lives. 

The fitness center, located in the southeast part of the campus, is connected to the main buildings of the community with an enclosed walkway, providing convenient access regardless of weather conditions. In addition to the indoor features, an outdoor deck extends along the length of the building adjacent to the swimming pool. (The deck will be completed soon.)   

Kendal Breaks Ground to Let the Sunshine In

This $150,000 + sunroom will be a 670 square foot addition to the entrance lobby of the Benjamin Borden Health Center, Kendal's licensed nursing facility which serves the greater Lexington community.  With three walls dominated by windows and a dozen skylights on the roof, this sunroom will provide an oasis where residents of the nursing home can participate in group activities or simply enjoy the sunlight, which has been proven to alleviate depression in the elderly.  The sunroom, accessed through the existing entrance lobby, will be on the southwest side of the building, providing views of some of the adjacent pastures of Sunnyside Farm.  In addition, the outdoor area surrounding the sunroom is at a slightly lower level than Kendal Drive which borders one side, providing an excellent protected area for future development of a small garden area with outdoor seating.  The sunroom was designed by the Lexington architecture firm Kirchner & Associates.

In the photo, standing from left to right, are Kimberly Snyder, Administrator for Health Services, Borden Center; Rusty Ford, Board of Supervisors; Hardin Marion, Chair, Kendal at Lexington Board of Directors; Beth Thompson, President, Kendal at Lexington's Residents Association; and Sammy Moore, Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce.

This construction project has been made possible through the generous contributions of many organizations and individuals, including the Cabell Foundation Grant reported on last year. Read more about the Borden Center project.

Anderson Center Renovations Complete

Renovations to the community center progressed in stages. The new gathering room, called Kendal Hall, was opened in November. It accommodates at least 120 individuals and offers a large stage with back-stage entrances. Two very large windows brighten the room and motorized blackout curtains allow convenient darkening. The new restaurant was opened in December. Brian Torrence, Dining Service Director, is delighted with the appearance and intimacy of the new space. The renovated Market Place has been operating since June and is very popular.

The new library is open. It offers a variety of seating and the Library Committee has been re-stocking shelves with the thousands of volumes of reading material which had been distributed throughout the community during construction.