By Jean Newton

SPECIAL TO THE TOWN CRIER Marian Melendy, president of The Forum’s Retirement Services Inc. Board, and Alan Hubbard, president of The Forum’s Retirement Housing Corporation, break ground for the expansion of the Health Care Center at The Forum as current and past resident board members look on. The 24-unit addition will house a new Alzheimer/Dementia wing and expand The Forum’s assisted living capabilities at the on-site Health Care Center.

Board members and residents of The Forum at Rancho San Antonio, a resident-owned continuing care retirement community located on 55-landscaped acres in the foothills where Los Altos meets Cupertino, recently gathered to break ground for a 24-unit addition to the Health Care Center as part of a Phase II expansion.

Marian Melendy, board president of The Forum’s Retirement Services Inc., and Alan Hubbard, board president of The Forum’s Retirement Housing Corporation, shared groundbreaking duties using the shovel from The Forum’s Phase I groundbreaking in November 1989.

“Phase II of The Forum’s Health Care Center is signed, sealed and on the way with completion scheduled in less than one year,” said Hubbard. “We are pleased to be able to expand our Health Care Center and offer important services that will not only serve the residents of our community but the greater community as well.”

The Forum, opened in 1991, consists of a community building, 259 independent living apartments and villas, and an on-site Health Care Center to provide assisted living and nursing care services.

The new addition will add approximately 21,000 square feet to the existing center and expands the capacity for Alzheimer and Dementia care in The Forum’s Assisted Living facility. The Health Care Center accepts admission of private nonmember residents in Assisted Living and Medicare and nonmember residents in Skilled Nursing for rehabilitative therapy, short-term and/or long-term care.

The architect for the current project is Thomas Brutting of HKI&T Architects, the same firm that handled Phase I, which received numerous architectural and interior design awards including the Pacific Coast Builders Conference Gold Nugget Award for Best Seniors Housing Project and national awards from Contemporary Long Term Care for Architectural Design and Interior Design.

DEVCON Construction Inc. will handle construction while Alex Johnson of Matrix CM will oversee the project, scheduled for completion in September 2005.

For more information, call 944-0100.