It was in 1988 when Casey House was founded and became the first freestanding HIV/AIDS facility providing home care and outreach programs for those with the deadly disease. Named after Casey Frayne—the son of founder June Callwood—Casey House has opened its doors to provide a safe and home-like environment to those living with HIV/AIDS as well as their friends and family. Casey House has also provided an environment where those terminally ill could live their remaining time in comfort, harmony and dignity. 

In the 25 years that it has been operating, Casey House has never gone through a major redevelopment—until now. Currently located at the southeast corner of Huntley and Isabella Streets, Casey House is on its way to relocating its quarters a block west at Jarvis and Isabella into the historic William R. Johnston House famously known by locals as the "Grey Lady" owing to its current paint job. The 1876-built residence was purchased by Casey House in 2003 and will be renovated—including having the grey paint sandblasted off—and significantly expanded to serve as quarters for both the hospice and the outreach programs of Casey House. The new brick and glass-panel facility will be a 58,000 square foot facility that will rise four storeys high, enabling Casey House to double its intensive health care treatment services. A couch house at the east end of the site will be demolished to make way for the new construction.

Casey House's new home, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architects

The new facility is designed by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects, and the firm's design for the facility has already been recognized by an Canadian Architect Magazine Award of Excellence. Bird Construction Company will be building the development.

An inside view of a new Casey House patient care room, image courtesy of Hariri Pontarini Architectsntarini Architects

The new facility will include within it many features that ensure that the best care is provided to clients, including a learning and education centre, a nursing clinic, a dining area, a stone fireplace, an art therapy studio, an exercise studio, and family rooms. Among one of the most anticipated features of this new facility is an in-patient program set to be located on the third floor of the building for individuals who require respite, intensive care and help adjusting to their medication. 

The ground breaking ceremony for the project is set for Monday, March 30 at 3:30 PM, with completion targeted for late 2016.

Want to know more about the development? You can visit our dataBase file for it, linked below, for more details and renderings. Want to talk about it? Join in on the conversation in the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.