Shell Point Completes Larsen Health Center
The $78 million healthcare facility offers approximately 200,000 SF of private-room skilled nursing, rehabilitation therapy and medical office space.
Shell Point Retirement Community recently celebrated the completion of the $78 million Larsen Health Center in Fort Myers, Florida. Located within Shell Point’s Waterside neighborhood, the center brings together all of Shell Point’s health care services, including a comprehensive medical center, behavioral health suite, rehabilitation center, dental offices, pharmacy and a 180-bed skilled nursing facility with private rooms. The project was designed and constructed in collaboration with RDG Planning & Design, Wegman Design Group, The Weitz Company, Johnson Engineering, Stantec Consulting Services and Fiber Solutions.
“Very few CCRCs [continuing care retirement communities] are making investments in skilled nursing, but we’re bullish on it,” said Shell Point President and CEO Martin Schappell. “Locating all medical services within one facility accelerates access to care, enhances collaboration in treatment and hastens the healing and restorative process. Shell Point made the financial commitment to this project because our residents deserve excellent clinical care, private rooms and a hospitality-driven experience.”
Shell Point broke ground on Larsen Health Center in September 2019 and was completed in under 30 months. The approximately 200,000-SF space includes exam and procedure rooms, on-site imaging services and offices for Shell Point’s medical staff and specialty physicians. A therapy center offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services in a dynamic open-gym concept, along with an occupational therapy home suite, a state-of-the-art aqua therapy pool and private treatment rooms. A dental clinic, a full-service pharmacy, a chapel, a meeting space and a cafe complete the first floor.
Floors two through six offer 162 private and nine companion skilled nursing rooms with 10-foot ceilings, expansive windows and well-appointed bathrooms with walk-in showers. Dining rooms and sunrooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing water and nature preserve views. Each self-contained residential neighborhood accommodates 20 residents and offers a living room, activity room, lounge area and a family conference room. A full-service salon for residents, an employee cafeteria and administrative offices are located on the second floor.
Larsen Health Center’s location less than one mile from the Gulf of Mexico informed RDG’s overall approach as the team worked to create a building that would incorporate connections to natural soundings and maintain the safety of residents amid extreme weather events. The resulting design offers sweeping views of Shell Point’s campus, the Captiva and Sanibel Islands, Fort Myers Beach and the blue-green waters of the Gulf, while also supporting Shell Point’s protect-in-place protocols by allowing the building to withstand Category 4 hurricane wind speeds.
“This project was designed and constructed through a set of extraordinary events over the past five years including Hurricane Irma, two tropical storms and a global pandemic. The center’s successful and timely completion is directly attributable to the close, long-standing relationship between RDG, Shell Point and its project development team and our project partners,” said RDG Principal Mitch Elliott, AIA. “Together, we’ve created an extraordinary environment that will have a positive impact on senior health care for years to come.”
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About Shell Point Retirement Community
Shell Point Retirement Community, founded in 1968, is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community located in Fort Myers, Florida. Shell Point offers independent retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing for its 2,500 residents in an active, resort-style environment. Lifestyle amenities include deep-water boating access with free dockage, a championship 18-hole golf course, an arts center, coastal-inspired restaurants and outdoor cafes, salons and spas, fitness centers, tennis and pickleball, along with miles of scenic walking and bike trails and other recreational and educational activities. To learn more, visit www.shellpoint.org or call 1-800-780-1131
For Shell Point Retirement Community media inquiries, contact Kara Hado at (239) 454-8245 (direct) or (239) 310-1115 (cell) or via email at karahado@shellpoint.org.