Plans for a 4 million dollar nursing home center and multi-building apartment complex to be constructed on the north side of Four Mile Drive in the 1300 block in Loyalsock Township were revealed last week by former Governor George M. Leader during a visit to the city.

The former governor made the announcement in his capacity as President of Commonwealth Industries Inc., a corporation that has four nursing homes in operation in Pennsylvania and three others in the planning stages.

The land purchase and preliminary plans for the 150-bed facility, which will consist of 52,000 square feet of floor space, were consummated in the early fall, Mr. Leader said.

Present plans call for Leader Nursing Home, an adjunct two-story office building of 11,000 square feet and the surrounding apartments to be constructed of brick and masonry if details can be worked out, the project will be subcontracted to local firms, he said.

The extended care facility was authorized by the start after need was justified, is being built in Williamsport as the result of a market analysis which revealed that there was a definite need for such services in the area. The local home will handle both Pennsycare and Medicare patients.

An added impetus was given to the Williamsport area because the former governor said, there is an awareness on the part of local people of the importance of rehabilitative medicine, an area that is greatly emphasized in the Leader nursing homes.

Judging from past experience, Mr. Leader predicted the nursing home would require 75 to 80 full-time employees, including 8 or 10 registered nurses in supervisory positions and 15 to 20 licensed practical nurses.

Compiled by Lou Hunsinger Jr.