ALLEGANY, N.Y. — The past couple months of rainy weather hasn’t slowed the construction of the new Field of Dreams assisted living and memory care building on Seventh Street in Allegany.

In fact, work crews have made so much progress that officials with the facility expect to host a grand opening for the community on Aug. 4.

“It’s been three years in the making here,” said Terri Ingersoll, chief operating officer with the Tanglewood Group of Jamestown, the parent company of the project. The $16 million, 88,000-square-foot structure has a facade reminiscent of an Americana barn design which complements a beautiful landscape and church in the distance. Also planted around three sides of the facility are numerous sunflowers, which are the theme of the facility and expected to be in bloom later this summer.

Groundbreaking for the structure took place on April 12, 2018, marking just 16 months for its completion. At full capacity, the structure will have 76 non-memory care beds and 64 memory care beds for residents. Owner of the Tanglewood Group is Nicholas Ferreri and general contractor is Kinley Corp., which has hired a number of local and regional subcontractors and vendors.

“We hope we’ll be open for business Aug. 5” with residents moving into the assisted living apartments, Ingersoll continued. “That is contingent on the Department of Health having a good facility inspection … and issuing an operating certificate.”

Ingersoll said she and other staff have been busy moving furniture into the facility the past few days.

“Yesterday I was here loading furniture all day and today we unloaded mattresses and box springs all day,” she said, explaining each of the apartments will contain a bed, a dresser, a nightstand and a lamp as well as a closet or armoire.

She said administrators have received a list of individuals who have sent in applications to reside at the facility.

“I have case managers with the list of names and are ready to reach out to those people,” Ingersoll continued.

She said the facility has hired a number of staff, but will continue to take applications for additional employees.

During a stop by Field of Dreams this week, Karen Fohl, strategic partnerships director for Upper Allegheny Health System, parent company to Olean General Hospital, said she has offered support to Ingersoll during the past several months.

“Isn’t this remarkable, it’s so wonderful,” Fohl said of the facility. “Olean General Hospital is a proponent and excited about this wonderful facility which is going to bless so many people in our community.”

Ingersoll added, “Karen has been absolutely wonderful through this process introducing me to person after person after person.”

Colby Cummings, assistant administrator of Field of Dreams, is a resident of Olean and recently graduated from Alfred University with a degree in finance.

“I’ve been driving by this area ever since this was a grass field, and then a dirt field and then signs and fences and a building,” Cummings remarked. “I’m glad I found something right after school and graduating … and being able to be back” in the area.

He said the completed structure is part of phase one of the project, with phase two expected to begin next spring and include the construction of cottages for individuals on the campus as well as a pavilion and a trail.

“We have a nice site plan for phase two and we’ll have that up for the grand opening,” Ingersoll stated.

The facility is expected to initially hire as many as 100 people, according to earlier reports.

“We’ve been lucky because there’s been a lot of interest by everyone in the area,” Cummings said. “Kim Pauly is the director of our (human resources) department and has been holding interviews left and right.”

He said registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, home health aides, case managers and other support staff are in place, with more staff expected to be hired as more residents move in.

For more information on applying for a job or residency at the facility, contact Pauly by email at kpauly@tanglewoodfieldofdreams.com. More information on the facility can also be obtained on the tanglewood-group.com website.