Word on the Street: Paintbrush assisted living celebrates grand opening

Paintbrush Assisted Living & Memory Care, west of Highway 99 in Fresno, celebrated its grand opening on Thursday.

The 74,000-square-foot residential care facility, at 4356 W. Ashlan Ave. (southeast corner of Blythe Avenue), was an idea conceived a decade ago by a family of local business owners to answer the need for memory support and continued care among the area’s elderly.

The financing took a while to get the project off the books, a development consultant told The Bee last year. A groundbreaking was held last June.

Modeled after the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite and designed in the arts and crafts style, Paintbrush has 75 studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments and 25 private and shared memory care suites that range in size from 484 to 745 square feet.

The name Paintbrush comes from Indian paintbrush, the red-orange flower that is native to the western U.S.

Amenities include a library with books that celebrate the history of the Central Valley, a variety of dining options with tailored menus from Chef Emery Bish, and a Life Enrichment Center that features art, music and pet therapy.

The facility is owned by Paintbrush LLC and Ponderosa Communications Group, a local telecommunications and land development group. The owners include Luanne Silkwood, Assembly Member Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, Kristi and Frank Mattes and Matt Boos.

Seniority, Inc., a senior management company based in Pleasanton, will manage the facility.

This story was originally published August 21, 2015 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Word on the Street: Paintbrush assisted living celebrates grand opening."