Work on Ironton’s soon-to-be open assisted-living center should wrap up in about six weeks.

Close to Home III, located on the corner of Center and Sixth streets in the former St. Lawrence O’Toole community building, is on schedule for a mid-June opening.

“We start painting in less than three weeks,” said Sharon Hartwig, co-owner of the company.

Electrical work and the sprinkler system is almost completed. H.A. Horsten, Inc. is in charge of the renovation.

Hartwig is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility’s grand opening. She plans to invite city and state officials who have helped get the project off the ground.

“Without them we couldn’t have done it,” Hartwig said. “It’s a actually a project that’s come to fruition with perseverance and without that community support we would have never gotten it done.”

Along with becoming Ironton’s only assisted-living facility, the business will also bring with it 33 jobs including cooks, cooks’ assistants, housekeepers, resident assistants and an activities coordinator.

The Lawrence County Workforce Development Resource Center is in charge of hiring employees. Applications will be accepted beginning in late May.

The building will have 35 rooms, each complete with a living room area, bathroom and closet. Cable, window treatments, a refrigerator and a telephone are also included.

“These are huge units,” Hartwig said. “Most facilities have 110 to 250 square feet units and these are larger than 350. That doesn’t seem like much but some homes are only 1,000.

“It is not the size of house they’re used to but to some of them, it could be larger than their apartment.”

Because of the complexity of turning the historic building into an assisted living facility, H. A. Dorsten, Inc. is planning to submit an application for the ABC Excellence in Construction Award.

The award is presented on both a state and national level.

“This is a good example of what could be done with a building that people were going to tear down,” Hartwig said. “We’re just glad we’re able to restore it and it’s not really a restoration. It’s just putting it to use.”

For more information on living at the facility, call (740) 534-2143. For information about working at the center, call Workforce Development at (740) 532-3140.