July 30, 2000

Dream for Shawhan should be good news

It may seem surprising that the former Shawhan hotel soon will have its third owner since the start of the effort that made it an assisted living facility.

But the outlook by its soon-to-be owner should prove to be good news for people in the community who have followed the progress of the old hotel.

Kathy Hunt, president and CEO of Elmwood Centers Inc., speaks of disappointment at the time Karrington Health Inc. started to renovate and revamp the Shawhan. She would have liked to have purchased the hotel and done that project herself.

In the meantime, Karrington was bought out by Sunrise Assisted Living, which completed and opened Sunrise at the Shawhan. Now that firm is selling the facility to Elmwood, allowing Hunt and her company to pursue her dream.

Hunt, who notes, "I was raised in Tiffin and hold Tiffin dear to my heart," expected to achieve ownership by the end of August.

She expects to continue the services offered by Sunrise with little change.

For Tiffin, added to the benefits of having the old hotel once again useful and attractive should come the advantages of having an owner with local roots who expresses a passion for the endeavor.