TRAVERSE CITY — The Grand Traverse Pavilion has officially reopened its Aspen Wing after a five-year closure.
Staff members marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Administrator Dave Hautamaki said the wing initially closed because of staffing shortages and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials decided not to reopen until the facility had fully recovered.
The renovated wing features freshly painted walls, new flooring and rooms refurbished by the staff.
“We funded our work in this renovation of this hallway from our own cash flow,” Hautamaki said. “All the work was done by staff and, during our regular hours to renovate this over the last four months was [an] exciting project to get completed. And we worked with an interior decorator, who helped us choose the right colors and to make sure that it was a pleasant, living environment for our residents and for our staff.”
Only a handful of private rooms are open now, but the pavilion plans to eventually open 23 rooms to accommodate more guests.
The reopening also creates job opportunities. Hautamaki said the pavilion will employ about 420 staff members and is looking to hire more nurses, aides and housekeepers.
“When this hallway will be used primarily for short-term rehab and also for a long-term rehab,” Hautamaki said. “And, so we’ll be working through those services and providing. And we are also looking for hiring more nurses, more aides, and more housekeepers to help, providing all the things that we need to provide to meet the community’s needs.”