New Ridge Pike Assisted Living Facility Nears Approval

A new assisted living facility could soon be on the way to Ridge Pike.

The Lower Providence Township Board of Supervisors recently approved a conditional use application for the facility during a business meeting on Jan. 19.

The facility would be built in the place of the former Collegeville Inn, located on 4000 Ridge Pike. The former smorgasbord was sold for redevelopment nearly two years ago.

Now that the conditional use application has been approved, various regulatory agencies and the Planning Commission must review the land development application before it is brought before the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

The developer is Providence Place of Collegeville Associates. The president, David Leader, said during the meeting that he hoped to "preserve the character" of the Collegeville Inn while incorporating it as a public space.

If completed, the new facility would have 160 units that will serve about 180 residents. There would be a separate wing for dementia patients, and they plan to have room for six to 10 patients who are in hospice care.

Organizers did acknowledge that the project would bring more traffic to the Ridge Pike location, but that traffic for an assisted living facility would be much less than other proposed usages.

Providence Place is Leader's family business. They operate five other senior living communities around the state.

Officials say that construction would be completed within a year of when it begins.

Patch file photo

Editor's note: a previous version of this story stated that the facility had already been approved. This is incorrect. The conditional use application has been approved, and the land development application is being considered.