UP Home staff, residents, and contributors cut the ribbon for the Garrett Health & Wellness Center October 24. Photos by Sam McIntosh.

A ribbon cutting typically signifies the start of something new, but for the United Presbyterian Home in Washington it meant celebrating the new while honoring the legacy of the senior residential campus.

The Washington Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday for the new Garrett Health & Wellness Center, which includes 17 private rooms, warm water therapy pool, fitness studio, and walking track. UP Home C.E.O. Mike Moore comments on the unveiling of the new addition, “Oh it’s great. This is a vision that we’ve had for many years, and the financial situation in the country of having low interest rates made it possible that we could finally do this. Plus the commitment of many people in this community and surrounding area.”

UP Home welcomed the community to tour the new facilities, and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the residential service. Del Henningfield has been a UP Home resident since 1999, she and her husband Richard toured the new wellness center, “The fitness area here is just overwhelming, because we have been very active and we’ve been using the fitness facilities that they’ve had. We showed up at the end of the year, the beginning of 2000. We hit it hard and we’ve stayed with it. And so this is going to be more than we almost can use, but it’s a wonderful addition.”

The Garrett Health & Wellness Center will be open for UP Home residents on November 1, and then will be open to the public in January 2018. Memberships will be available for those over the age of 55.

The warm water therapy pool has two underwater treadmills and an ADA compliant chair lift.