Biz Buzz:
Rehab/assisted living site opens
 This is the dining room for people in short-term rehabilitation at the Health Care Resort of Colorado Springs. Westside Pioneer photo
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The two-story, 82,000-square-foot structure has a total of 125 beds (97 short-term physical rehabilitation on the first floor and 28 assisted living on the second floor).
In an interview, HCR employees described conscientious efforts by the facility staff to provide a quality experience for what they term their “guests” and to make it feel more like a resort than a hospital.
Amenities include high-ceiling rooms with personal bathrooms, dining areas intended to look more like restaurants than cafeterias, plus areas for exercise, therapy, classes and even putting practice.
Built over the past year and a half, HCR is under the Ensign Group, a national company that provides a “broad spectrum” of human services in 13 states, according to its website.
The facility sits on 7.6 acres at the southwest corner of Fillmore and Grande Vista. The access is from Grand Vista Circle.
Major donation for JA
A donation from the GE Johnson Construction Community Foundation in May leaves Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado (JA), which relocated to Old Colorado City two years ago, less than $1 million from its fundraising goal of just under $3.9 million.
JA-SoCo serves 46 counties throughout Southern Colorado and reached more than 28,000 students in 2015, a press release states.
The donation will be reflected in the naming of the Finance Park after Gilbert E. Johnson, founder of the GE Johnson Construction Company, headquartered in Colorado Springs.
The Finance Park will be one of two programs offered in an interactive, “simulated city,” according to Carrie McKee, president and CEO of JA of Southern Colorado. “When complete, the park will host eighth-grade JA students as they build economic and financial literacy during day-long field trip experiences,” a press release states.
The other program at the site will be for fifth-grade students, called BizTown, and “the whole building will be called the Center for Free Enterprise,” McKee explained.
Construction of the Gil Johnson JA Finance Park is expected to start this summer and conclude in 2017, the press release adds.
JA of SoCo is located in the former Goodwill complex on the north side of the 2300 block of West Colorado Avenue.
 More than 600 ticket-buyers gathered inside the Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado (JA) May 1 for the fourth annual Taste of OCC fundraiser for Bancroft Park and Old Colorado City improvements. Featuring food and drink donated by local businesses, a live band and on-site artists, the event had been scheduled in Bancroft, but cold weather and the threat of snow led to the indoors decision. Afterward, Dave Van Ness of the Old Colorado City Foundation (OCCF), which organized the event, said it was a success. City Parks is interested in the OCCF effort and hopes to start developing a Bancroft Park master plan - a necessary first step for park upgrades - sometime this year, according to Parks spokesperson Tilah Larson. Westside Pioneer photo
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Tattoos, fine art
Freaky Tiki opened in the last year at 2421½ W. Colorado Ave.
Business owners Jeremy and Rikki Witherspoon offer tattoos, as well as fine art, tiki masks, body jewelry, shirts and souvenirs.
Jeremy has 14 years experience as a body artist and 6 years as a painter. Rikki specializes in soap crafting.
The business is open Tuesdays to Saturdays.
The shop can be contacted at 233-8671 or info@freakytikiltd.com.
Do you have any news about your business? Call the Westside Pioneer at 471-6776.