Coming Up Fast: April 21, 2025
So What?
So, that is when we will actually see physical evidence of The Refresh in the works.
Back up. Actually, there has been physical evidence for a few weeks. Here’s the physical evidence:
Yes, that’s right: Willy’s here! Who is Willy? He’s the On-Site Senior Project Supervisor for Pike Construction. However, Willy—being human—is not within the purview of this update. So, we continue.
What Happens on April 21?
On April 21, the PDR closes. Again, so what? This means that the building of the temporary kitchen is about to start. From April 21 to April 28, the PDR gets emptied. Completely. Floor to ceiling. Gone. If all goes well, next stop: construction.
What do you mean “If all goes well?”
Kendal must get approval from the State Department of Health and The Village of Sleepy Hollow to build the temporary kitchen. That approval was expected by April 28, at which point the actual construction starts. Breaking News: Approval, in the form of a permit, was received April 11, 2025—so all systems are go!
Next step: Temporary walls will begin to go up on April 28, 2025, outside the room that used to house the ATM machine and the staff’s time clock. The ATM has already been moved to the area between the Gathering Room and the Lounge, and the timeclocks will be relocated to an area of the lobby.
Why do we need temporary walls?
Temporary walls are both a safety feature and a way to keep the dust of construction out of our—the residents’—way. It will slightly narrow the hallway to the Bistro, but only a tiny bit. The menus will stay where they are. And both the Bistro and the FDR will be operating until November.
Okay, so we have temporary walls. Nice. Now what?
Short answer: lots. First off, approximately 80 percent of the “old kitchen” will be closed once the temporary kitchen is complete, though storage in the old kitchen will continue. That includes two walk-in coolers and the dry storage room. The temporary kitchen (aka old PDR) is only about a third of the size of the old kitchen, so things in the temporary kitchen have been carefully designed for easy movement and safety. It will have 5 cooks and 4 cleaners (1 during the day, 3 at night) providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Adirondack and independent-living residents, Sunnyside, and Clearwater. The kitchen is in operation from 6 am, when staff comes in, through to 10pm, when the dishwashers leave.
Just how much in the PDR is going to be changed in this temporary kitchen?
Short answer: you name it. Long answer: Floor to ceiling, wall to wall. As for appliances, they will include:
4 Combination ovens, i.e., electric steamers and ovens combined
Low temperature cook & hold oven
4-burner induction range, with omelet area
Electric Fryer, with omelet area
4 Bun Pan Racks
2 Prep Tables with sinks (one a double sink)
Prep refrigerator
Worktable with under shelf
30-quart mixer
Low-temperature cool & hold oven
Refrigerator-Freezer
2 Roll-in Refrigerators
Ice machine
2 Utility carts
3 compartment sinks
2 Hand sinks
2 Pre-rinse faucets
2 hand sinks
Slicer
3 Ingredient bins
3 Dishwashing machines
And yards upon yards upon yards upon yards of shelving.
In addition, the flooring must be replaced for safety and cleaning, along with the lighting. And a vent must be added for air control, not to mention access to enough electricity to power 4 ovens along with everything else.
Rome wasn’t built in a day—and it didn’t have a 4-burner induction range with omelet area.
All of this takes time. The building of the kitchen will basically take the rest of the spring, the summer, and into the fall, which is why construction in the new kitchen and the dining venues will not start until November.
Okay, so now we’re ready to go?
We’re ready to go when the State Department of Health and The Village of Sleepy Hollow tell us we’re ready. Just as they must approve the plan at the beginning, they must approve the finished project at the end. Meanwhile, Fred will be working on finalizing the dining plan for November and beyond.