Aug 29

Office Remodel Underway

Here are some progress photos of the office remodel as construction progressed.

Demo starting

Starting to chip away the old stucco.

Framing of the front gable is started. This feature will match the new construction when the 60 new apartment are built.

Interior framing started. You can see the new conference room to the rear. To the left are the doorways to the office for the property manager and the employee area.

The new front entrance is taking shape with the new planters, office sign monument, new front doors and glass work, and the gable.

The base is being added to the office sign monument.

The gable detail is being added to the back of the building along with new balcony enclosures replacing the previous wrought iron railing system.

Getting close to completion with the blacktop being installed.

Apr 16

Planning Commission Approval

3D rendering of apartments

The new apartments approval process has proceeded through the City of Upland Planning Commission. The commission asked for a few minor changes to the color palette. There were also some minor concerns over parking. Even with the project exceeds the require city parking requirements. With one nay vote the commission approved the project and will recommend that Upland city Console approve the 60 unit apartment project.

Mar 19

Entry Sign

As part of the new trash enclosure we also built a new entry sign on the part of the trash enclosure that faces the street. This is the first permanent sign on the property since the apartments were built back in the early 1960’s. The large arching wings and the sign itself disguise the trash enclosure and provide an attractive entrance. The landscaping was also updated with drought tolerant plants and an underground irrigation system.

Nov 24

Rental Office Remodel

Proposed Office front entry

Mesa Court Apartments will be remodeling the rental office building to tie into the new architectural style of the proposed 60 unit apartment complex. The key design element is the front roof gable. The gable mirrors gable accents that can be seen on all of the new buildings in the south complex. The gable design was inspired by Mediterranean influences of coastal villages in Europe.

In addition to the exterior face lift, the front planter area will be reworked to appear more integrated into the new design. There will be new planters and landscape accents with large entry steps and a new office sign.

The interior will have a newly designed reception area and lobby, new office space for the property manager, and a new conference room with the rear of the lobby providing privacy while signing contracts. All areas will have updated finishes and materials.

Construction is planned to begin sometime January 2020.

Sep 24

Trash Enclosure

The trash enclosure has been completed. As part of the beautification project, Mesa Court apartment has constructed a trash enclosure on the north end of the parking lot. This will remove the unsightly dumpster that has been located at the front of the property. The dumpster will be placed inside the structure and remain out of sight. There is also room for an additional recycling dumpster.

Oct 24

Proposed 60 Apartments

Powers Design and Development is working with the Upland Planning Department on developing a 60 unit apartment complex. The new apartments will be built on the vacant parcel of land behind the existing Mesa Court apartments. The new units will be configured with a spacious two car garage on the first floor, a great room and kitchen on the second floor and two bedrooms on the third floor.

Some design features will include a kitchen area with an island, a space for a washer and dryer on the second floor by the kitchen, two full baths, one in each bedroom and a half bath adjacent to the great room, two large clothing closets in the bedroom area, a covered patio area by the front door and a balcony on the second floor. Some units will have views of the San Gabriel mountains or the valley below. The attached two car garage gives the resident the safety and convenience of pulling in to their unit and taking the groceries right up stairs, without having to go outside.

Apr 25

Proposed Site Plan

Proposed_Site_Plan

 

March 2014, Powers Design and Development submitted a proposed site plan for the seven acre property at 867 East 11th street in Upland California. The proposal outlines a multi phase plan that will expand the current Skilled Nursing Facility to a 200 bed, sub-acute SNF, and provide several other improvements.

All the existing alley parking will be removed. An all new 100 space parking lot will be built to the north of the building with access off of Mesa Court.  The existing apartment parking lot will also be reworked to better integrate with the overall redesign. In addition to parking improvements the street through the property, will be improved and widened for better ingress and egress.

The plan proposed connecting the two existing Skilled Nursing Facility buildings to create a single building. This will make the Skilled Nursing Facility operation more efficient, and provide better access to services for  patients, family members and staff.

The proposal also lays out a multi story office building to be built on the west side of the property some time in the future.

 

 

Apr 17

The Villa Refurnbished

VillaStreet

 

In late 2013 Powers Design and Development  teamed with Sela Corporation to take The Villa back to her roots. But first, how did we get here? The Villa was built, by the Powers family, in the mid 1960’s as a Skilled Nursing Facility(SNF). Originally called Arlington Convalescent Hospital, it had 66 beds and was fully self contain SNF. The 66 beds were mainly semi private, with only a few private rooms.

A few years later the powers family built a 99 bed Skilled Nursing Facility right behind The Villa, and called it the Arlington Annex. With this huge expansion, the 66 beds in the front building were converted to a  Residential Care Facility for the Elderly, aka an RCFE. For the last 40 years, this building has been and RCFE. 

Today, with the changing health care landscape and an aging population, additional  Skilled Nursing  and semi-acute Skilled Nursing  beds are need in the Inland Empire.  So, a strategic decision was made mid 2013, to convert the original 66 beds back to a semi-acute Skill Nursing Facility. The Powers family and Sela Corporation teamed up and started working on what would need to be done to get the approvals from the City of Upland and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to convert the 66 beds to a semi-acute skilled nursing facility.

 

 

Apr 16

Our Founder Dr. Joseph Powers

Born in Philadelphia to poor Irish immigrants, Joe’s Mother died when he was 6.  Joe was the only one of 9 children to complete college, graduating with two doctorate degrees.  At age ten Joe started a shoe shine business, then newspaper, salvage, coupons, delivered coal & ice, hauling, moving and other businesses to fund his schooling.  Joe’s start in medicine was a four-year doctorate course at the National Chiropractic School in Chicago, finding ways for support as a gas station attendant and night clerk so he could study.  He would awake at 4:30am to walk to the YWCA to help serve breakfast in the cafeteria.  Sensing a call to become a surgeon, three years followed in pre-med at Loyola, ending up during the war in the US Navy at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, sleeping in tents in Balboa Park.  Joe sold Christmas cards, made name stamps carved out of linoleum and saved $6,000 while in the Navy. 

 Joseph PowersJoe and Jerri were married in San Diego in 1945, and shortly thereafter Loyola University announced Joe’s appointment to their medical school.  The next ten years included residency at Hines Veterans Hospital in general & thoracic surgery.  The urge for private practice brought Dr. Joe & Jerri Powers to Upland, opening their medical & surgical practice in 1957.  Joe was appointed general surgeon and teacher at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernadino, Lockheed Aircraft Service at Ontario Airport and on the surgical staff at San Antonio Hospital.  Joe also joined the staff at Pomona Valley Hospital and Ontario Community Hospital, carrying his own chest surgical instruments from hospital to hospital.  From a $35 per month rental cottage 40 years ago, numerous businesses & assignments followed: Ontario Respiratory Center; Kenny’s Car Wash in Upland, Ford Lunch restaurant in Ontario.  Joe created Mobile Med to deliver laser procedure equipment to doctors’ offices and Hospitals.  Dr. Powers is a pioneer in laser surgical procedures, studying at Cleveland and UCLA Irvine, perfecting and bringing those techniques to the Inland Empire.  In 1998 Joe created new website companies – Internet Avenues, MedAve, and recently acquired iEhance in Salt Lake City, capturing over 20% of all Plastic Surgeon’s websites in the U.S. MedAve and iEnhance were later merged together and re-branded Plastic Surgery Studios. 

 Dr. Powers has been active in the Catholic charities Free Medical Clinic; son Michael piloting Joe?s plane filled with nurses and pharmacists for the Flying Samaritans’ Baja free medical clinic; Vice President of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce; volunteering with Boy Scouts of America, Ontario& Cucamonga Girls Club, and area nursing homes.  At Christmas time Joe transforms into his Santa Claus outfit, each year delivering hundreds of turkeys to church’s, girls clubs & charity organizations.  During the year Joe is constantly giving sacks of potatoes, beans & rice; boxes of chicken livers; cash donations & cash advances at grocery stores to feed the poor.

 In 1964 Joe & Jerri created Arlington Convalescent Hospital across from the San Antonio Community Hospital to care for our senior?s health care/nursing home needs.  In 1967, Joe built Shea Convalescent Hospital’s 99 beds with the latest capabilities.  Jerri was cook for a time, eldest son Scott ran the soft drink machines, sons Greg and Tom entertained & played cards & board games with the patients.  Hallmark House Annex was developed for the care needs of developmentally disabled/active adults.  Today, Scott, a United 767 Captain, Greg oversee the day to day operation of Powers Design and Development,  Michael runs Plastic Surgery Studios and Mobile Med, and son Tom is an Medical Doctor in Lake Havasu.

 

Jul 26

New Website

Website version1Powers Design & Development launches a new website using the WordPress CMS platform. This will allow us to make updates easier and more frequently.