Nascentia Health to acquire the Beeches property in Rome to convert it into senior housing

ROME, N.Y. — Syracuse–based Nascentia Health on Tuesday announced that it is under contract to acquire the Beeches complex in Rome with plans for mixed-use development that will include independent and supportive housing options for seniors.

The organization did not release any financial terms of its acquisition agreement. Nascentia expects to close on its purchase of the more than 50-acre property in mid-April, per a Tuesday news release.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Nascentia Health to adapt this beautiful and historic estate for the future in a meaningful way that exemplifies the importance of the Beeches and the Destito family to the Rome Community,” Kate Rolf, CEO of Nascentia Health, said. “Our renovation plans will bring needed jobs and resources to the area. We’re looking forward to partnering with our Rome neighbors to plan and deliver a new community resource.”

Nascentia Health is a home and community-based health-care system with operations in 48 upstate New York counties.

The Destito family owned and operated the Beeches since 1949. The family wanted to ensure that the parcels would not be broken up or used in a way that would not benefit the community, so Nascentia Health’s plan to create a “community-focused,” mixed-use development was a “perfect fit for the vision” that the family had for the site.

The Destito family — Frank, Dominick, and Orrie — who are 3rd generation owners of the property, noted that “we explored [many] options and proposals for the reuse of this iconic property, hoping to find one that would have the resources and vision to keep it in its entirety, develop something that would benefit the community, and keep its history and beauty intact. It was with Nascentia we found this great combination.” 

The Beeches Restaurant and Conference Center and the Inn at The Beeches — which closed at the end of 2018 — had a “long history in the Rome community as a premier venue for conferences and events,” Nascentia said.

Existing business tenants will be unaffected by the purchase and will continue to maintain their leases.

The property conversion will focus on re-purposing the existing inn building as well as other parts of the campus, to a “true community” for seniors to “age in place,” allowing them to continue to live independently with support from a range of health-care professionals.

The conference center will be updated as communal space and will once again be available for holding private meetings and venues. The project is expected to bring valuable health-care jobs to the area, including positions for nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and home health aides.

“We applaud Nascentia Health for their forward-thinking investment to both preserve and enhance a community asset with their purchase of the Beeches complex,” Steven DiMeo, president of Mohawk Valley EDGE, said in the release. “This mixed-use senior-housing project will bring a much-needed new housing product to the marketplace to serve a population that is desperately in need of more options. The economic impact of this investment will be seen both by the adaptive reuse of a historic community property as well as new jobs. We look forward to seeing this project take shape and welcome Nascentia Health to the community.”