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Ex-nursing home to become apartments for deaf adults | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean
Cornelia House, a former nursing home in East Nashville that closed last year after a series of violations, will become a residential complex for deaf adults.
A company controlled by Forrest Preston of East Tennessee bought the building at Porter Road and Eastland Avenue and sought to donate it to a nonprofit organization.
Preston ultimately awarded the property to Urban Housing Solutions, which proposed to convert it into a residential community for deaf adults and to provide additional amenities and services for the neighborhood, according to an announcement from Urban Housing Solutions.
Executive director Rusty Lawrence said the agency will convert the nursing home into 35 apartments, creating the first purpose-built residential community for deaf adults in Tennessee. He expects a completion date of spring 2009.
Lawrence has been working with the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to learn the wants and needs of members of the deaf community. Some said they prefer to live only with other deaf adults, others would like to live in a mixed community. At this time, the plan is to reserve two-thirds of the spaces for deaf adults and hold the rest of the apartments as "live-work" spaces for artists and artisans. If the deaf community wants, the complex will be used for deaf adults only.
The concept also calls for a cultural center that will be used for neighborhood art exhibitions, performances and meetings, as well as activities sponsored by the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which may relocate its offices to the building.
Cornelia House, a former nursing home in East Nashville that closed last year after a series of violations, will become a residential complex for deaf adults.
A company controlled by Forrest Preston of East Tennessee bought the building at Porter Road and Eastland Avenue and sought to donate it to a nonprofit organization.
Preston ultimately awarded the property to Urban Housing Solutions, which proposed to convert it into a residential community for deaf adults and to provide additional amenities and services for the neighborhood, according to an announcement from Urban Housing Solutions.
Executive director Rusty Lawrence said the agency will convert the nursing home into 35 apartments, creating the first purpose-built residential community for deaf adults in Tennessee. He expects a completion date of spring 2009.
Lawrence has been working with the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to learn the wants and needs of members of the deaf community. Some said they prefer to live only with other deaf adults, others would like to live in a mixed community. At this time, the plan is to reserve two-thirds of the spaces for deaf adults and hold the rest of the apartments as "live-work" spaces for artists and artisans. If the deaf community wants, the complex will be used for deaf adults only.
The concept also calls for a cultural center that will be used for neighborhood art exhibitions, performances and meetings, as well as activities sponsored by the League for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which may relocate its offices to the building.