To John P. Whittington "community" is and always will be vitality important..

Seeking to assist the needs of Atlantic City's elderly residents The Atlantic City Housing Authority and Urban Redevelopment Agency broke ground on Thursday, August 8, 2002, on the John P. Whittington Senior Living Center, named in his honor.

The $5.8 million, 48,100-square-foot, assisted living complex will stand four stories tall and adjacent to the 17-story Charles P. Jefferies Tower and 14-story Inlet Tower on the corner of Madison and New Hampshire avenues. It will feature 48 one-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 350 to 480 square feet per unit. Each apartment will come complete with one bathroom and full kitchen. Each of the top three floors will dedicate 12,700 square feet of living space, while the first floor will be used for office space and resident services.

The Whittington Senior Living Center will be in keeping with the historic Victorian architecture that was prevalent in Atlantic City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 27 off-street parking spaces will also be made available.

Whittington (inset above), an Atlantic City native and resident, was on hand for the ceremony and extremely proud for those residents who now will find it possible to remain in the city, thanks in part to this new facility.

Whittington was on born on August 26, 1920, and attended local schools prior to joining the Army in 1940 and serving during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from the Army as a major in 1963 and then served in various supervisory positions for the next 24 years with the Atlantic City Expressway Authority.

His civic responsibilities and accomplishments were many. Whittington founded the Westside Homeowners Protection Association, served as 4th Ward councilman from May 1982 to May 1988, served on the Atlantic City Housing Authority Board of Commissioners from July 1988 to February 1998 and also served on the Atlantic City Alcohol & Drug Abuse Board from 1992 to 2001.

SRC Industries, Inc. of Brooklyn will oversee the construction of the facility, which should take approximately 18 months.