![A rendering of the planned exterior design of The Culpeper](https://www.culpeperretirement.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Culpeper-Future-HiRes-300x169.jpg)
The Culpeper to Break Ground on May 10
By Ann Lovell
CULPEPER, Virginia—Residents at The Culpeper, a LifeSpire of Virginia continuing care retirement community, will soon say goodbye to their 70-year-old building and welcome a new state-of-the-art facility. The new Culpeper will offer residents larger living space, modern dining facilities, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a memory care neighborhood, the only one of its kind in the Culpeper area.
On May 10, The Culpeper will break ground on its new community. While the old building will continue to serve residents until the new building is completed, residents and the greater Culpeper community are invited to gather on the front lawn at 2 p.m., May 10, to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony. Utilizing the theme, “Building for Tomorrow,” the afternoon will include brief remarks from community leaders, displays of historic photos, a video of the original 1949 ground breaking, and architectural renderings of the future community, among other surprises.
And yes, there will be opportunity to move some dirt.
“Yes, there will be shovels,” said Jim Jacobsen, executive director of The Culpeper. “We will have opportunity for everyone to put a shovel in the ground. We expect it to be a fun afternoon, and we are pleased to open our doors to the community for this event.”
When the original building was constructed in 1949, it was state-of-the-art for the time. Over the years, however, the building could not keep pace with the demands of today’s active seniors, explained Peter Robinson, Vice-President of Marketing and Public Relations for LifeSpire of Virginia, The Culpeper’s parent company.
“The new facility is modern and state-of-the-art, in keeping with the vision of The Culpeper’s original founders,” Robinson said. “We want to assure that seniors who live in the Culpeper community don’t have to leave Culpeper to find compassionate care in modern, comfortable surroundings.”
While a new building is welcomed, demolishing a 70-year-old building steeped in tradition doesn’t happen without a degree of sentimentality. Jacobsen and his team worked with The Culpeper’s residents and the greater Culpeper community to discuss their feelings associated with tearing down the old building. As a result, some of the features of the old building will be preserved, including the stained glass from the chapel, which will be displayed in the new lobby.
“We recognize the rich legacy of our past, and we honor those beginnings,” Jacobsen said. “At the same time, we are embracing the future and renewing our commitment to tomorrow’s seniors to provide exceptional care in a family atmosphere. That commitment is what makes The Culpeper such a special place to live.”
The Culpeper is located at 12425 Village Loop in Culpeper, Virginia, 22701. Phone number is 540-825-2411.
Ann Lovell is Corporate Director of Communications for LifeSpire of Virginia. For more information, email [email protected] or call (804) 521-9192.
LifeSpire of Virginia operates four continuing care retirement communities in Virginia: The Chesapeake in Newport News, The Culpeper in Culpeper, The Glebe in Daleville and Lakewood in Richmond.