ROME — The Beeches, a landmark that had been the backdrop for so many memories for decades before it was closed in 2018, will once again become a venue where residents of the Rome area can host celebrations, meetings, and other types of community events. This spring, Nascentia Health plans to unveil its Beeches Manor, in what was once the iconic site on Turin Road.

Beeches Manor is the first phase of the project that is being called Nascentia Neighborhood, which Nascentia Health officials envision as a mixed-use property that would include the Manor, open to the community, as well as housing for those 55 and older; a business park, with medical and other services, according to Kate Rolf, president and CEO for Nascentia Health.

The home health care non-profit is in six counties in the state and has had its Rome office on the Beeches property for more than 10 years. Rolf said that the 50-acre site,with its wooded areas, ponds, and grassy knolls, is a good place for what Nascentia wants to do with the Neighborhood project.

The renovation of the manor house includes a complete overhaul of the banquet area; the cocktail lounge/restaurant area is being updated, and a new deck and patio are being added to offer guests a scenic view, according to a statement from Ryan Pyland, assistant vice president of marketing and communications for Nascentia. The banquet facility will be able to accommodate approximately 350 people. The company anticipates that they will begin taking reservations at Beeches Manor in March, with the first events slated for May.

The full build-out is expected to occur across five phases, which could stretch another two to four years as new sections of housing are being built, Pyland noted. Officials are not able to finalize the number of units that will be available throughout the entire property since they are still working on plans with the New York State Historic Preservation Office.

The next phase will include the construction of apartments on the site where the inn once stood, and Rolf is hopeful that component will be completed within 12 to 18 months. The apartments will include on-site amenities, like a gym, computer lab, laundry facilities, and more, Pyland explained further. Funding for the project is coming from a variety of sources, including grants, historic tax credits, and senior housing funds. In addition, Nascentia will begin a capital campaign in the coming months to help support the ongoing property development, including the next housing phases of cottages and patio homes, as well as the continued renovation of the Beeches Manor’s upper and lower levels for neighborhood amenities, such as a gym and a spa area, Pyland pointed out.

The Beeches had been owned by the Destito family since 1949, and its reopening is seen as a boon to the Rome community.

“I think anyone who has lived here for any amount of time has stories to tell about a family event or some other great happening at the Beeches,” said Rome Mayor Jacqueline Izzo, “and now to bring the mansion house back online, it will be wonderful for employment in the hospitality industry and also for the history of Rome.”