The continuing care retirement community Friendship Manor is undertaking the largest capital campaign ever in its 82-year history, investing $12.5 million across 20 improvement projects.

The campus – at 1209 21st Ave., Rock Island – offers a full range of senior living options, from villas to independent living apartments, to assisted living and skilled nursing, currently serving 260 residents, with 300 full- and part-time employees.

COVID reduced the number of independent living residents, now at 55 (with a capacity of 90 independent apartments), said Ted Pappas, Jr., Friendship Manor president and CEO.

The 2024 campaign cost is twice as large an investment as its original building, which opened in 1979.

“We’re going to impact every area of our campus,” Pappas said at a Thursday morning press conference. “The result will be a re-established Friendship Manor. We’ve always been the place to be; but now, we will be even more so.”

“There’s not another senior care or retirement living provider with more longevity or experience in our market,” he said. “Now, we are looking toward the future, and are very excited to announce our plans to re-establish Friendship Manor. The result will be beautiful and modern, all with the expertise and skill that comes from 82 years of service.”

“We’re confident that seniors are going to love Friendship Manor even more than ever,” said Heather Stancliff, Friendship Manor’s director of sales and marketing. There are four main projects in the campaign:

• Completely renovating and remodeling the independent living area, including adding a new dining room, pub, activity center, and deck with gas fireplace. They will reduce the number of independent living units from 98 to 90, and remodeling all units with modern features, including in-room laundry, new ceiling, lighting, kitchen cabinetry, flooring, bathrooms and showers.

They are rebranding the independent living area as the Terraces at Friendship Manor, and the apartments will be remodeled over one year.

• Expanding and upgrading the current 1209 Bistro and restaurant, giving residents two dining options to choose from.

• The rehab and therapy center will be relocated to the first floor, just inside the main entrance. It will be equipped to serve skilled rehab, as well as a fitness center, with an indoor walking track and state-of-the-art therapy equipment.

• Addition of two spacious, private end-of-life suites (called Chrysalis Suites at Silver Cross), allowing families to stay with loved ones during their final days or hours of life.

“We believe that honoring our residents means we do so from the first second they are here with us, until the last,” Stancliff said. “We feel the addition of these suites honors our faith-based foundation. It provides the dignity at end of life that all people deserve, and there’s nothing similar to this on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities.”

Other projects to be done

In addition, 16 other projects make up the 2024 vision. They include:

• Modern updates throughout assisted living, including renovations to all assisted living apartments.
• Improvements to Silver Cross skilled nursing and rehab center, including expanded dining room, spacious new spa room, new flooring, and other cosmetic upgrades.
• Deck repair, new water heaters, replacement windows, and updates to the HVAC system.
• New outdoor walking path with gazebo.

All the improvements will take about two years to complete, Stancliff said.

Friendship Manor is a faith-based, nonprofit organization and the only continuing care retirement community in the Illinois QC, development director Jeff Condit said Thursday. “Seniors truly can age in place here, and stay right here no matter what life brings to their doorstep, health-wise,” he said.

“What most people don’t know is, we provide millions of dollars of charitable care to seniors who have outlived their resources,” Condit said. “This is because we’re a nonprofit and we don’t have owner or stockholder profit margins to satisfy.”

$500,000 left to raise

Friendship Manor has taken out a $10.5-million construction bond (to be paid over 25 years), and is raising $2 million from the community. It has secured gifts and commitments for $1.5 million of that, Condit said, leaving about $500,000 left to raise from the public.

The capital appeal just went out in the mail, he noted.

“Our plan of twenty projects, some of which are already underway, will continue our legacy of
providing seven levels of superb senior care,” the appeal letter said. “We are the ONLY nonprofit, charitable, Continuing Care Retirement Community in Rock Island County, enabling seniors to gracefully age in place.”

“Our founders were called to serve and we were built on the foundation of service,” Condit said. “Our work is not done, but we need the community’s help to carry on serving the way seniors deserve to be served.”

Some independent living residents have been relocated to a temporary home on campus during construction, he said. There are currently 55 residents in independent living (with a capacity of 90).

“We believe this project answers two things — it will put a lot of services in the buildings, where now residents have to come over, and one of the things we think is very important, if there ever is another pandemic, the independent living building won’t have to be shut down like they were during COVID,” Pappas said.

“We’re addressing two major areas with these improvements, and we think it will have great impact on our independent living center,” he said.

All of Friendship Manor’s other areas (including skilled nursing and assisted living) are running at 90 percent capacity or more, Pappas said.

“People were reluctant to move during COVID,” Condit said of filling independent units. “That has been slow in recovery.”

“That’s not only at the Manor, but that’s national,” Pappas said. “Senior housing is struggling to recover. We think this project is fantastic and will help our recovery.”

All the projects will not require any new building construction — the Manor is renovating and repurposing existing space, he added. A similar project was done in 2014, when they converted part of a floor for memory care.

For more information on Friendship Manor and planned improvements, visit the organization’s website HERE or call 309-786-9667.

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