Valley Health Services, provides a variety of services and care to the area’s aging population as well as for individuals requiring rehabilitation services. The assisted living facility was constructed to close a gap in the range of long-term care services currently available in Herkimer County.

AOW was not originally selected to construct this project; the Owner’s original Construction Manager arrived at a value for the project that was nearly three million dollars over budget. AOW, working closely with the Owner and Architect, successfully value-engineered the project from $10.5 million to $7.8 million. Additional items to include a Service Building were added as the project progressed.

The Owner aggressively pursued grant funding and was successful in obtaining more than 50% of the funding for this project through various sources. As a result, in addition to the very tight schedule required given the shift in Construction Managers, two very difficult challenges for AOW included the active engagement of Minority and Women Owner Business Resources, and expending all grant resources no later than 3 months after the start of construction.

The facility features 46 studio apartments and several common areas for the residents to enjoy to include an activity room, dining room, spa, café, communal garden, and two sun porches. The facility also has a learning classroom providing ongoing educational opportunities to health care professionals.