Meadows II at Shannondell Retirement – Paul Risk Construction

As the second skilled nursing facility on the campus of The Meadows at Shannondell, Meadows II is a 173,000-square-foot facility completed in spring 2016. Located in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Meadows II is part of the Shannondell at Valley Forge independent living community. The new facility will include 190 private rooms, all heated and connected to medical gas systems.

Paul Risk Construction (PRC) is the general contractor for Meadows II. Formerly known as Paul Risk Associates Inc. (PRA), PRC was started by Donald C. Risk in 1933 and has grown into a fourth-generation family business. From 1969 to the mid ‘90s, Paul Risk and his wife Shirley took the company from three employees to 70 as they continued to build its reputation for quality.

John Beers, vice president and senior project manager for PRC, says that the biggest challenge on the project was the record-low temperatures that the area experienced in last year. “It was tough breaking ground with how cold it was,” he says. “Temperatures that are below freezing always present a challenge in construction.” A fair amount of blasting was involved in the project due to the rock that was present at the site, which was also challenging due to the climate.

Maintaining a residential aspect

The new facility will be composed of four stories with the top floor focused on short-term rehabilitation therapy. “It’s the type of rehabilitation center where someone who has had a procedure done, such as a hip replacement, will go to before going home,” says Beers. The design of the facility is also appealing to future residents as it incorporates an “at home” feel, rather than that of a hospital. “It’s definitely adhered to a more residential design rather than institutional,” Beers adds.

Shannondell currently includes two commons facilities and nine residential apartment buildings. Beers says that the expansion was much needed for the community, which currently has 1,100 apartments. “The community is for elderly couples, as well as widows and widowers who are continuing their everyday lives outside of the single-family home setting,” he says. “It’s a great place for retirees who also need easy access to medical care.”

As the general contractor on this project, PRC self-performed a small percentage of the carpentry and labor, while handling the hiring of all subcontractors involved. In choosing the right strategic partners to work with, PRC collaborates with the owner of each project to establish the budget and decide where to look for each individual trade. “We narrowed a list down to certain folks that we wanted to invite to bid on the project,” says Beers. “For the trades involved in the larger portions of the job, we actually sat down with the owner and potential subs at the same table and talked things through.”

A niche market

Due to its rich history and reputation within the industry, PRC has established a strong network of subcontractors that the company is confident working with. “About 85 to 90 percent of the subcontractors on this project are people that we have worked with before,” Beers explains. “When it comes to certain aspects of a job, we know who to turn to.”

While PRC has established a niche market in the senior living industry, the company also performs commercial and industrial projects. The company often performs repeat business for a client in the snack food industry. “We’ve worked them for years,” says Beers. “We also do a lot of churches and houses of worship.”

Beers also says that the response from the local community has been positive regarding the construction process. “We always make a strong effort to be as least disruptive as possible,” he explains. “It’s very important to us to maintain a positive impact on the community we are working in.”

Beers has been with PRC for 31 years. Throughout his tenure, Beers has been involved with numerous clients in the senior living industry and has become adept with what the needs are for each facility. “The senior living communities that we build are often resort-like establishments,” says Beers. PRC has built a reputation as the go-to contractor in the senior living industry due to its knowledge and experience, as well as customer service and satisfaction. “It’s all about relationships,” he adds.

With the completion of Meadows II at Shannondell in spring 2016, Paul Risk Construction has added another senior living community to its ever-expanding portfolio of successful projects and satisfied clients.