Home Care In New Goshen, IN

GOSHEN — During Thursday night’s Goshen candidate forum, one name heard repeatedly and with much anticipation was Cherry Creek.

Cherry Creek is a new community development on the south side of Goshen between Prairie View Elementary School and Maple City Parkway.

Tonya Detweiler the CEO of Cherry Creek LLC & Blue Diamond Communities LLC for the past eight years shared plans of her newest project during a recent interview.

“The city of Goshen asked us to explore this piece of land,” Detweiler said. “The Waterford Mills area is the last large piece of land that is located within city limits and has access to city water and sewer. After touring the land, the quality of soil, excellent location and connection to city services led us to this location for a new housing project.”

Detweiler expressed that this project is special in several aspects.

“For our specific housing project, Cherry Creek will help the south end of Goshen come alive with a mixed use development comprised of restaurants, a child care center, priority access to childcare and senior services, and a fully maintenance-free walkable and bikeable neighborhood community. We will partner with restaurants interested in providing live entertainment. Our four-story condo buildings will be for-sale units in which each condo building has amenities for those that live in it including multiple roof top seating areas, a fitness center with programming, and a shared workspace and coffee shop,” she said.

Conversations with the city started in the summer of 2022. Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2024 with the roads and infrastructure. Cherry Creek developers plan to start building single-family homes and their first condominium in the summer of 2024.

“Cherry Creek will be the largest residential neighborhood in Goshen and the first mixed-use, maintenance-free neighborhood that is built and designed for all ages,” Detweiler said. “The core of the neighborhood will have many amenities for Cherry Creek neighbors including a pool and splash pad, pickleball courts, an event calendar, fitness classes, and a 10-foot [wide] walking and biking trail that winds throughout the neighborhood. This trail will connect to the city of Goshen’s trail and allow people to get all the way downtown on foot or bike.”

Overall, she stated that the responses have been overwhelmingly positive for this new type of neighborhood coming to Goshen.

“The neighbors are excited that it will be residential in nature and not a manufacturing plant or an industrial park,” she said. “Our ability to bring restaurants and retail to the south end of Goshen will allow for natural interactions to occur between those that live in Cherry Creek and the general public that comes to patronize the businesses. We look forward to being good neighbors.”

The pre-selling of condominiums and home lots will start in November. There will not be a fee to apply, nor to explore options with the team. Houses and condos will range from the mid-$300,000s on up.

“Being a part of a providing for a housing shortage for Goshen, but more importantly to bring a full lifestyle community to our town means so much,” Detweiler said. “We are a town of creative people that put their heads together to constantly figure out how to build community together. Cherry Creek will check off boxes in new ways for people to live intergenerationally, maintenance free, and actively in Goshen. We know that our time is precious, and we believe our homes should allow us to spend as much time with those we love and doing the things we love to do. Life in Cherry Creek will be a housing project that allows 1400 family units to enjoy that.”

Detweiler finished with the hopes she has of this project becoming a vibrant part of the community.

“I think that Cherry Creek will make the south end of Goshen come alive and be a vibrant part of our town,” Detweiler said. “I think that we will see more people choosing to live in a neighborhood that gives them more time to do what they want because we will take care of the rest. Cherry Creek will allow people to live and walk to 80% of their life and be intentional about many areas of their life on a daily basis.”

BY ERIKA NORTONGOSHEN — The owner of the Goshen Plaza is planning a complete overhaul, including the addition of a supermarket. The project would breathe new life into the largely vacant 13-acre property, located between Clowes Avenue and Matthew Street, by restoring the blighted parking lot, expanding retail options, and adding a new standalone CVS Pharmacy with drive-through service and a supermarket — something the Village of Goshen hasn’t had since the Grand Union left in 2001.The current owner, Fareri Associates, assumed sole ownership and management of the 58,000-square-foot property last May. After visiting the plaza, he concluded that the only way to fix the blight was to “totally redo Goshen Plaza.” “The only way to fix it and to give the people of Goshen what we think they need is to start from scratch,” said Neil DeLuca, president of Fareri’s development consultant, the DeLuca Group.Fareri first became involved with the Goshen Plaza as a passive partner during a bankruptcy buy-out of the property five years ago. But after buying out the partner in May, DeLuca believes they are better equipped financially to take on the risks of the retail market than their partner was, and are ready to take on this project. The planFareri's plan, pending village approval, is to demolish the current 58,0000-square-foot plaza and build 104,600 square feet of all-new retail space. There would be three new retail buildings with two stand-alone anchor tenants — the pharmacy and the supermarket. Fareri also plans to construct three retail-ready pad sites for tenants who usually have a standalone location. During construction, the current CVS Pharmacy will remain in operation, according to construction manager Jim Carnicelli. The public will continue to have access to shop and pick up prescriptions. The east and west wings of the building will be demolished, leaving the CVS to operate normally. Once the new standalone pharmacy is constructed, the current CVS will move into its new building and the old CVS will be demolished. Fareri expects there to be about 15 other storefronts, which may vary from mom-and-pop shops to larger retailers.Currently, there are only six active tenants in the plaza: CVS Pharmacy, Verizon Wireless, Goshen Laundry, Goshen Plaza Liquors, Blooming Nails & Spa, and H&R Block, which plans to leave after tax season ends in April. DeLuca said they have had meaningful discussions with all of the tenants and hope they will choose to return. The Goshen Diner will remain, as it is its own entity.Right now 47 people are employed at the Goshen Plaza. Fareri expects that number to jump to 238 employees within the first three years after the overhaul is completed. Other improvements will include modernized utilities, an all-new storm water collection system, and a fully restored parking lot, from grading and resurfacing to lighting, striping, and signage. Architect Ron Hoina said there will be centralized parking, planted islands, simple, clean signage and wayfinding. The sidewalks will have overhangs so that people can cross shop more comfortably.Which supermarket is it?DeLucasaid they are currently in negotiations to bring in a top-brand supermarket familiar to the Hudson Valley. Since they have not yet officially signed a lease, he cannot reveal the name of the supermarket, he said. “It’s a corporate chain, so the local level likes it, and we went to the next level, and they like it," he said. "Now we’ll take it to the CFO in that group,” DeLuca said. “But we have every reason to believe that this is real.”He said the supermarket has had other locations in the area for a long time and knows this particular market well. The parking lotWith an all-new parking lot — new curbs, sidewalks, and asphalt — the deteriorating and pothole-riddled lot long deplored by shoppers will no longer be an problem, Carnicelli said. In the meantime, short-term repairs have been made and will continue until the new parking lot is done, Carnicelli said. Several potholes have been filled with cold patch asphalt, and a large area of the parking lot was recently seal-coated and re-striped to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety. Pending village approvalFareri presented the Goshen Plaza proposal before the Village of Goshen Planning Board on Wednesday evening, Jan. 22. The projected grand opening dates for the two retail anchors are fall 2020 for the pharmacy and fall 2021 for the supermarket.There will be a website, goshenplazany.com, that will provide updated information as the project progresses.Editor's note: This article has been updated.

Progress is ongoing at Goshen Plaza, the new mall under construction located between Matthews Street and Clowes Avenue. Already completed and open for business is CVS, the stand-alone pharmacy with drive-up service.

“The pharmacy is doing great,” said Anthony Martinez, vice president of construction with Fareri Associates, while looking over the parking lot nearly full with cars.

With construction work completed for the second business to come to Goshen Plaza, Garnet Health, one of the area’s leading healthcare providers, is moving in and planning a May opening.

An urgent care facility

As an urgent care facility, Garnet Health will occupy two stories, totaling 17,200 square feet of space. It’s a freestanding building, but attached, with its own services. Included are 34 examining rooms, ultrasound room, x-ray room, laboratories, medication rooms, four procedure rooms and more.

“We’re talking with various potential tenants for other retail space, two stand-alone restaurants and a supermarket,” said the construction manager. “There’s a lot of activity now.”

At this time, Martinez is not naming names, but he mentioned pizza places and a gym as possibilities.

What about a supermarket?

However, he did declare: “We’re getting very close to definites. We’re working on where is the best spot to put various businesses.

“We’re moving closer for a supermarket, taking steps in negotiations,” Martinez added. “Nothing definite yet, but getting closer with four or five interested food markets.”

To get started on constructing the restaurants proposed for the stand-alone pads, Martinez is waiting to hear final measurements in order to build to specifications.

Martinez speaks to the local community: “Goshen Plaza is taking shape now. You saw it in the beginning, starting to come out of the ground. Well, it’s out of the ground now.”

‘There’s good growth in Goshen’

He’s not only pleased with the progress that’s being made at the Goshen Plaza site, but he also noted that the timing is right for this project. “It’s coming at the right time. There’s good growth in Goshen, roads are being built and good infrastructure.”

He promises there will be a lot more to report in the coming future.

The site is currently home to 58,000 sq. ft. of underutilized retail space. The All-New Goshen Plaza has been carefully planned to maximize this space and deliver the retail options Goshen neighbors have been asking for, without having to expand the Plaza’s 13-acre footprint!

The plan

According to its website, Fareri Associates the All-New Goshen Plaza will nearly double retail space without having to expand the plaza’s 13-acre footprint.

GOSHEN – The long wait for a new Goshen library is almost over.

Come April, residents will be able to visit the gleaming, two-story, 20,600-square-foot library on Main Street.

It will have an expanded children’s room and activity area, an adult service area, a dedicated teen program area, quiet conference rooms for meetings and tutoring, and a community room with space for 100 people.

In addition, there will be a large Local History Room, a dedicated space for the Friends of the Goshen Public Library, outdoor seating for reading and green areas for activity, all in a park-like setting.

The new library is located on a five-acre property at Salesian Park.

“We’re extremely excited,” said Norma Nunez- Langlois, a library board member. “The excitement in the community is palpable. They can’t wait to come in. We can’t wait to open the doors.”

For years, the library leadership has sought a larger building because space has been tight at the 101-year-old existing library that's located just two-thirds of a mile from the new one. Often, patrons had to be put on a waiting list to participate in programs.

Because of its age, the library was not handicapped-accessible and not suited for extensive modification. Each year, it had to apply to New York state for a variance to remain open.

In Dec. 2015, voters approved building a new library at a cost of $9.3 million, or about $41 per $100,000 of school district-assessed property value.

Building began in the fall of 2016, and the library is expected to open in early April, said Matt Gomm, library director.

“As much as libraries have evolved to accommodate changes in technology, our essential role - to provide a place for the exchange of ideas and information - has remained the bedrock of our existence,” said Gomm in an email.

“Indeed, more importantly than ever, the library provides a place for the community to gather, where neighbors can meet face to face,” he said.

The new library will be handicapped-accessible, have unisex bathrooms and will use geothermal energy for heating and cooling the building. It will also have 50 parking spaces.

Once the library moves to its new locattion, the old building will be put up for sale, said Gomm.

[email protected]

GOSHEN — Goshen school board members Monday got their first look at preliminary schematic designs connected to the corporation’s planned $65 million referendum project.

Invited to help present the schematic designs was Brian J. Bohlender, an architect and partner with Barton Coe Vilamaa, the architectural and engineering firm hired by the board in May to serve as the architect for the referendum project.

Approved by district voters during the 2018 primary election, the referendum project involves construction of a new intermediate school for grades 5 and 6, conversion of the existing middle school to serve grades 7 and 8, plus a number of renovations at the high school.

In beginning his presentation, Bohlender offered board members a brief snapshot of the work the firm has been doing since its hiring back in May.

“So we’ve done the initial phase, which is programming, with staff and administrators. And in that case, it’s at either building site — the new intermediate or the high school — just reviewing any thoughts on the needs in terms of the number and type of spaces, programs you want to offer at either of the buildings, and kind of coming up with an inventory of needs that need to be addressed,” Bohlender said of the firm’s initial work. “That’s a programming phase. We’re now at the end of the next phase after that, which is schematic design. So all of these things, even though the drawings look somewhat very final in some cases, are still relatively preliminary in terms of our process. We’re about 20 to 25 percent through our total process.”

Bohlender also spoke briefly of the correlative work his firm has been doing with Weigand Construction, the firm selected by board members in August to serve as the construction manager as constructor for the referendum project.

“As we complete our schematic design phase, they’re starting their schematic design estimate, and those will come in two packages from Weigand, one for the intermediate and one for the high school,” Bohlender said of Weigand’s work. “Based on their estimated cost for these schematic designs, then we may meet with our core group again and talk about priorities in some cases, if we need to bid certain things as alternates, or look for ways to save on those estimated construction costs. Then from there we’ll move into what we call the design development phase based on kind of the outcomes of those processes.”

THE PLAN

According to Barton Coe Vilamaa, the current plan for the referendum project includes four primary sections: a new intermediate school; additions and renovations to Goshen High School; renovations to Goshen Middle School; and contingency funds.

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

As outlined in the firm’s proposal, the new 5-6 building will be approximately 190,000 square feet in size, with some portions having two stories.

“Site development to support the new building will also be within the project,” the plan states. “The anticipated project site is located just northwest of the intersection of Greene Road (C.R. 19) and Plymouth Avenue (Ind. 119) in Goshen. The building and site may be configured to support the addition of an additional grade level in the future.”

Total estimated construction hard costs for the project have been quoted at about $38 million.

GHS RENOVATIONS

Referencing the planned addition and renovations to GHS, the proposal notes that this portion of the project involves newly constructed additions to, as well as renovations of existing interior space at, the high school.

“The new additions are anticipated to include potentially 30,000 square feet of new building area, potentially on three stories,” the plan states, noting that a majority of the new construction will be located in the northeast corner of the facility where a new three-story section will be built. “The renovations are also anticipated to affect potentially 20,000 square feet of existing floor space and other related infrastructure improvements in various locations through the building.”

The proposal noted that minor site development to support the new additions and renovations will also be within the project scope.

Total hard cost for the high school renovations has been quoted at about $10 million.

GMS RENOVATIONS

According to the plan, the GMS renovation project consists of renovations of existing interior space at the middle school involving approximately 20,000 square feet of existing floor space and other related infrastructure improvements in various locations throughout the building.

“Minor site development to support the renovations or for other programmatic reasons may also be within the project,” the plan states.

Total estimated hard cost for the GMS project has been quoted at about $2 million.

CONTINGENCY FUNDS

Rounding out the four main sections of the project are the contingency funds, which the firm is recommending the school corporation set aside to deal with any unexpected costs.

“At this stage in the project we recommend setting aside additional contingency funds within the hard construction costs to protect the total budget against items like unsuitable soils, unforeseen conditions, inflation and other needs,” the plan states.

Total estimated cost for the contingency funds has been quoted at about $2 million, bringing the total budgetary estimate for construction hard costs for the project to $52 million.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

In addition to the quoted hard costs, the plan also proposes a fixed fee for architecture and engineering services at $2.66 million, or about 4 percent of the total project cost.

According to the plan, that fee will allow the firm to program, design, draw, specify, assist with bidding, and perform traditional construction administration during the project.

The plan also takes into account various anticipated soft costs such as: surveying and utility location fees; soil and materials testing fees; hazardous materials assessment and abatement fees; testing and balancing of mechanical systems fees; technology testing fees; building commissioning fees; attorneys’ fees; permitting fees; costs for specifying and purchasing loose equipment; cost of financing; and fees for code variances.

Taken together, those remaining soft costs and estimated costs of issuance bring the project to its total estimated cost of $65 million.

PROJECT TIMELINE

As currently proposed, Barton Coe Vilamaa anticipates receiving bids and awarding contracts for the new intermediate school and GHS renovations in February or March of 2019, with construction on the new school and GHS expected to begin in April 2019.

An expected completion date for the GHS renovations has been projected for July 2020, while completion of the new intermediate school has been projected for June 2021.

As for the conversion work at the middle school, bids for the work are expected to be received and awarded in February or March of 2021, with construction commencing in June 2021 and concluding in September 2021.

John Kline can be reached at [email protected] or 574-533-2151, ext. 315.

Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN