The bulldozers and earth movers are doing their business as the Pilgrim Monument stands watch.
Soon, a new chapter will open in the half-century history of how Provincetown cares for its elderly citizens.
The story actually begins in 1956 when the town's newly established publicly owned nursing home received its first license. The eight-room facility in the all-wood Grace Gouveia Building on Alden Street was classified as a Public Medical Institution (PMI), one of only 17 in the state.
The Grace Gouveia Building still is in service for town offices, but by 1976 the wooden structure was deemed unfit for use as a nursing home. Faced with revocation of the Manor's state license, town voters opted to create a new facility just up the hill. Doors of the new 26-bed Cape End Manor opened in 1980, still as a PMI.
However, as then-town manager Keith Bergman once commented at a budget hearing, "Running Cape End Manor always ends up costing us more than we've planned." Although the Manor regularly earned high rating from the Department of Public Health and received continuing support from community volunteers, the financial burden was becoming too great. The town decided to opt out of the nursing home business.
About this time the concept of creating a "continuing care campus" was becoming popular. Residents would be able to segue from independent living to assisted living to skilled nursing care in the same environment.
After years of exploring new sites in town, the decision was made to stay put and create a new building behind the current structure. A land swap with the local Archdiocese of Fall River made it possible to strike a deal with the New England Deaconess Association, which already was operating five of what it calls Deaconess Abundant Life Communities.
The new three-story facility known as Seashore Point will consist of 41 independent living apartments, a 41-bed skilled nursing facility and an out-patient rehabilitation center that also will be available for non-resident use with a separate entrance and parking. (A deal with an outside Cape operator for the rehab center was still in the works as of our deadline.)
The current brick building temporarily will house the rehab center but eventually it will be demolished.
Ground-breaking took place last fall and the first phase of construction is scheduled for completion the summer of 2008. Phase II should be done a year later.
Commitments already have been received for many of the independent apartments. For those on the third floor, there is the promise of a water view. But, for all the residents, there will still be the monument for reassurance.
For information on Seashore Point, contact 508-487-0771 or www.seashorepoint.org.