A retirement home on Mack Smith Road will close in mid October, management announced on Thursday.

East Ridge Residence, a former motel that was converted to a retirement home, will close on October 15, according to information from management. Officials with the facility said the decision was “not made lightly,” citing the overall poor condition, ongoing deterioration and rising operating costs.

Sources said that about 50 people currently reside in the aging facility that was originally a Quality Inn Motel. The building will be razed and and the two-plus acre tract will be redeveloped, possibly with housing.

Management of the facility is committed to assisting families in finding local relocation resources, officials with the facility stated in a communique. Social services agencies will also be contacted to provide additional support.

The property is owned by Bob Martino, who has built a soccer stadium and plans to develop more than 100 acres around it as “The Gateway,” potentially a $125 million development.

East Ridge Residence is on the north end of Mack Smith Road which leads directly into the “Gateway Development.” Officials with East Ridge are currently widening Mack Smith Road from Ringgold Road to build access to the Martino property from the south.

The city and the developer have been in conflict for some time over right-of-way for the road into the Gateway property. 

Currently, drainage pipes are stacked along Mack Smith Road in anticipation of beginning construction of the road into The Gateway. 

During an East Ridge City Council meeting in late March, it was announced the city would begin widening Mack Smith road from Ringgold Road into the Martino development. Two lanes would become four lanes with a median. The work was to have begun in mid April. The contractors were given 270 days to complete the project.