The Rotary Club of Ville Platte today (Tuesday) got an update from Rotarian Trey Prudhomme on the new Heritage Manor Nursing Home facility on the west end of Main Street.

     Prudhomme reported that all of the construction work is completed for the new nursing home and the new evacuation center in back of the nursing home. Crews beginning to bring in furniture into the new facility. Also landscapers are doing their work all around the location.

      The new nursing  home will be licensed to house 124 people. Currently there are 85 residents that will be moved into the new location on Saturday Sept. 17. Crews and vans from the parent company’s other nursing homes will be in that day for the move. Later this week, Prudhomme will be meeting with the families of all the residents to explain the move.

    Plans are calling for an open house and ribbon cutting the week prior toi September 17 for the general public to tour the new building.

    The 24,000 sq. foot evacuation building will only be used to house 235 residents from three nursing homes located south of I-10 in the event of a hurricane.

    It was announced that the old facility will be donated to some non profit group or demolished and the land sold.

   The nursing home was first established as “Maison de Sante’” in 1963 and the last addition was completed in 1986.

    Heritage Manor has hired eight additional people and are looking at hiring an additional 8-10 employees.

    In other business, the rotary club voted to move its scholarship fund from students attending the Coreil Campus to students going to Camp Rylla. It was explained that very few students from Coreil Campus had applied for the fund the last few years. The funds will go to two students from Ville Platte High and Sacred Heart High or the child of a rotarian attending another school. Camp Rylla is a one week summer camp sponsored by the Rotary District.