fter nearly a year of drawing up, planning and executing renovations, The Palmerton has completed its near top-to-bottom restoration.

The building, which previously housed the Village of Palmerton, came under new ownership, Inspirit Senior Living, in 2016. It has operated as The Palmerton since last year, but David McHarg, president and CEO of Inspirit Senior Living, said renovations were planned to take place on the resident community since its acquisition two years ago.

“It was an honor to set sail, and we knew it needed some renovations,” McHarg said.

“It’s exciting to see (this transformation).

“We like to create an environment where we’re promoting an experience, not just a place to live,” said Regional Director of Operations Amy Kehrer. “We really want to create the best living experience for our residents.”

“What we do is an honor, to take care of the residents here. It’s an honor to be here. It’s an honor to serve our residents,” Kehrer said.

The Palmerton on Princeton Avenue, located in the borough of the same name, is headed by Executive Director Terri Kotch, who is also a licensed practical nurse. The building is equipped with 54 rooms, some private and others semiprivate, and serves a total of 65 residents.

One of those residents is Carolyn Cooper, 85, formerly of Palmer Township in Easton.

As of December, Cooper will have been a resident at The Palmerton for two years. But before moving in, she did not like the idea of moving into a senior living community.

Cooper’s husband died nearly 20 years ago, and she was living alone in their family house. But Cooper’s children feared for her safety. She said she had arthritis stemming from a fall she had at 19 years old, and she couldn’t maintain a house like she once did.

Cooper’s children wanted her to move in with them, but she refused. Eventually, she agreed to look for a senior community to live in instead.

“The more I thought about it, I figured they were right,” Cooper said, adding later, “It’s an adjustment you have to make, and you just have to accept it sometimes.”

Since moving into the residence, Cooper said, she has enjoyed her stay at The Palmerton.

“I like it. You can go out, and you can go on the porch,” she said. ”After supper, everybody sort of just goes to their room, but we still sit out and talk. I just like it here.”

Kehrer estimated that the renovations themselves only took about 12 weeks, but that’s not including the list of processes that made them possible.

Planning the design required between four and six months, and in total, The Palmerton’s restoration took the better part of a year.

The tranquil teal walls, cream piping against navy blue couches and multi-patterned chairs are inviting for residents.

“It takes a couple months, from the concept when the designer comes, until we even start working,” Kehrer said. “It’s a big process, and we put a lot into it. We review the designs, and we send them back to the drawing board, and we review them again. So, it’s a couple months until it starts happening, but everything is intentional.”

The Palmerton is practically a new facility, said Scott Burkholder, regional director of asset management. He assessed the total costs of renovations at just under half a million dollars.

On most days, The Palmerton’s corridors are quiet. Residents are typically spending time in their rooms.

Yet a sense of community still exists, whether it’s crowding around a communal television, or congregating in one of the building’s two dining areas for any number of activities offered to those living at The Palmerton.

“We want it to be a place that people are proud to live here, and families are proud to come here and visit their loved ones,” Kehrer said.

“That’s what we want to create. We want people to be proud of where they live.”