Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Village Opens In Gurdon

Gurdon residents will be pleased to know the Ami Village Restaurant is up and running.

Mary Jane Allen spoke to the Gurdon Rotary Club recently about the progress being made at the former Gurdon Hospital. She said a big transformation has occurred and everything is looking good.

However, Allen originally planned to have a wing dedicated to those people with chemical allergies, but has since learned this will not be possible at this facility.

But, she said, this isn't stopping or even slowing work on the assisted living center. Rooms are under construction at this time, being painted, wall papered and carpeted so those living there will be able to easily make themselves at home.

Allen said once this renovation is done the facility can house 47 people for assisted living.

Currently, crews are working to repair a leak in the roof over what was the administration portion of the building, while plans are being made for the older wing as well.

"This is a big project," she said, "bigger than we imagined.'

According to plans, each room will have its own heating and air conditioning unit. To do this, Allen said, the boiler room is being torn apart, with the copper pipe getting removed for sale.

Much of the work is being done after hours, as the helpers have regular jobs they work at. In addition, the construction could interfere with the operation of the restaurant.

As it stands, she said, the open house was a rousing success with the restaurant literally running out of food.

"We've had a good reception," Allen said. "A lot of people from Arkadelphia have been coming down to eat. I think we'll be able to pull people in from all over."

A new sign for the restaurant should soon be going up, while the Allen's are looking into a total security system for the residents of the assisted living center.

She said they won't be absentee owners, but will be traveling back and forth from their farm in Stone County. A couple will be living at the center full time to help serve those there. "They've worked for us before," she said.

"The employees know what they're doing and we're slowly getting a dependable crew."

Ami Village isn't the first venture into senior care for the Allen family. She said they owned senior citizen centers in Stamps, Smackover, Oceola and Nashville, along with one in Searcy County they still own. The others have since been sold.

"People need an alternative," she said, "between not being able to stay at home and going to a nursing home. This is in-between. It's a good concept and we know how to do it.

"We know how to baby people and make them feel good."

Allen said Ami Village will have room for plenty of activities for its residents and should be something Gurdon can be proud of.