Those who have long admired the treasured landmark Hamilton Hospital (and may even have been lucky enough to be born there) will soon have the opportunity to call the iconic building, listed under the National Register of Historic Places, their home. Stylishly reimagined and now christened Elegance at Novato, the former Hamilton Hospital site has been transformed into a luxury residential care community for seniors, breathing new life into this forgotten local jewel in Novato.
Admired for its distinctive Spanish-inspired architecture, the timeless building’s design blends Colonial Revival design with unique Moorish, Spanish Churrigueresque, Mission, and Art Moderne motifs, giving it its own signature Spanish-eclectic appearance. Built in 1934 for a then-staggering sum of $108,000, Novato’s long-vacant Hamilton Hospital is currently scheduled to reopen in November 2020. The $40 million, 80-unit property will be Marin County’s newest and most luxurious assisted-living and memory-care community for seniors.
Some Novato residents might recall that the storied Hamilton Army Airfield was once an overseas staging area for U.S. military personnel headed for service in the Pacific theater during the second World War. The former military base’s multi-story hospital has been repurposed and renovated under the thoughtful, expert guidance of our development partner, Elegance Living, and Bay-area based Avesta Development Group. This duo has worked closely with the Novato City Council to thoroughly modernize this space for its new residents. An innovative and comprehensive redesign of the former veterans’ hospital both complements and enhances Novato’s Hamilton neighborhood while preserving and rehabilitating the architectural integrity of the building’s distinguished Spanish Colonial presence.
Elegance at Novato will offer Assisted Living studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments with varied floor plans for those Marin older adults who, while still fairly independent, may occasionally require some level of assistance with the activities of daily living. Elegance at Novato will also offer a choice of memory-care private and shared studios expressly conceived and designed for those suffering from some form of memory impairment or dementia.
These graduated living arrangements allow for residents to “age in place” with dignity as they transition into the next stage of life. Residents can remain in the same community they’ve come to consider their home without having to move elsewhere to receive the care they need.
Novato Mayor Denise Athas recently shared her enthusiasm for this repurposed senior community: “I’m so excited about this. It’s the one thing I’ve wanted since I came on board as a council member when my mom was dying,” Mayor Athas said. “The doctors said the best way to help her was to send her to some other city. That made me determined to find a way so Novatans can age in place and when they have memory problems and need assistance they can get it here.”
Elegance at Novato will feature an in-house restaurant, a full-service bar and bistro, a café with outdoor seating, luxury spa and salon, wellness and fitness center, private theater, game room, library, an outdoor courtyard, and other activity areas. The community aspires to provide residents with a relaxing and gracious lifestyle that enables each of them to live every day to its fullest. Elegance at Novato’s ultimate mission is to serve their residents, families, and staff with the highest level of compassion, dignity and respect.
To learn more about Elegance at Novato, call (415) 766-0569, or email [email protected]. Be sure to ask about their money-saving program, The Hamilton Society, for first depositors and residents.
