Paul Leavy | The Valdosta Daily Times Work is already in progress on the foundation and slab for the new multi-use facillty at the Langdale Place.

VALDOSTA — Langdale Place senior living facility at 2720 Windemere Drive officially broke ground on a new multi-purpose activity center behind its main building Wednesday. Some who helped bring the project to this stage of completion donned hard hats and tossed dirt with golden shovels in the morning sunshine.

“This is a great day and a proud day for all of us,” said James McGahee, chief executive officer of South Georgia Medical Center and president of the South Georgia Health Alliance. McGahee welcomed the crowd of approximately 40 people, composed of residents, friends and family members, staff, dignitaries, facility benefactors, contractor Quillian Powell, architect J. Glenn Gregory and others who came out to show their support.

“We stand here today marking yet another milestone in the history of Langdale Place,” said Dr. John Anderson, chairman of the alliance.

Anderson congratulated Langdale Place Executive Director Jan Brice and her staff “for making Langdale Place the community’s premier location for senior living.”

Brice said Langdale Place has grown and exceeded community expectations since it first opened in 1992 and gave much of the credit for the facility’s success to her staff.

“I have a great staff,” Brice said. “They are a very team oriented group who work well together and have a great love for the residents.”

The expansion will include a 1,250-square-foot multi-purpose room with a separate kitchen, projection area, covered porch and office, she said. The estimated completion date for the facility is March , 2010.

Sandi Truitt, Langdale Place activities director, said she came to Langdale Place a month after it opened and is excited about the expansion.

“I’ve waited for this a long time,” she said. “We need more room. Now that we’ll have a bigger space we’ll be able to offer more and better programs to the residents.”

Truitt’s office will be moved to the new activity center, while the space formerly used for activities inside the main building will probably be turned into a small chapel for use by the residents and staff, she said.

Her husband, Roger Truitt, is chief of environmental services at the facility. He said the new multi-purpose building will be adaptable for a variety of purposes and functions, such as dances, meetings, guest speakers, bingo, etc.

“I think it will be a great addition to Langdale Place,” he said.

Dr. John Cookson, a retired consultant who hails from London, England, and a Langdale Place resident, said, “This is a world class operation. The staff are so kind here and the residents, too.”

Operated by the South Georgia Health Alliance, an affiliate of SGMC, Langdale Place is the Valdosta community’s first deluxe, senior living facility. It features spacious studio, one- and two-bedroom independent and assisted living suites, a secured living facility for patients with dementia, and an array of services including fine dining, 24-hour emergency response, and a variety of social and recreational activities. It is currently home to 104 residents, Brice said.

For more information, call Jan Brice at (229) 247-4300.