ZELIENOPLE — The first phase of the $54 million Lutheran SeniorLife’s Passavant Retirement Community is now complete, with work scheduled to begin this month on a new main building on the campus.

Laura Roy, executive director at Passavant, said work has just wrapped up on the first phase of infrastructure work that will support the new main building and new cottages at the 100-year-old senior living facility.

The main road through the campus also has been realigned to improve traffic flow.

The second phase includes the new main campus building.

The three-story, 88,000-square-foot main administration building is being constructed near the existing administration building.

The changes are expected to help Passavant compete with other facilities.

The new main building, which will house administration offices and the community’s Main Street area, will be built about 400 feet closer to the middle of the campus.

Housed within that facility will be a new 102-bed skilled nursing community, 34-unit assisted living apartments and 20 individual living apartments.

The main building also will include a new fitness center, dining area and enlarged area for the Center for Creative Expression.

Roy explained the Center for Creative Expression is an area where residents can enjoy arts programs, such as painting and poetry.

Construction is expected to be completed on the main building by November 2013.

The plan is to begin moving residents into the new building from November 2013 through February 2014, Roy said.

Borough manager Don Pepe said the borough has been in contact with Passavant officials about the project.

He said it has been progressing according to their schedule.

“They should be ready to begin construction on their building,” he said. “There hasn’t been any construction issues with the project.”

The final phase will be the demolition of the old main building and some of the older cottages on the campus and the construction of 20 cottages along Culvert Street.

That project is to be done by the end of 2014.

Passavant Retirement Community has about 625 residents and employs 340.