The “front door” to the new Penick Village campus will be open for the first time Thursday when Village House hosts the Moore County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours.

The 40,000-square-foot building is the centerpiece of a master site plan that calls for more than $30 million in construction over the next two decades.

“The overall purpose is to unite the campus,” Penick CEO Jeff Hutchins says. “Penick Village has been a part of the Moore County community for 47 years. We’re prepping for the next 47 years.

“We want people to come see why we are so excited about our future and fulfilling our mission of serving older adults.”

Patrick Coughlin, president and CEO of the Chamber, said he is impressed with the level of Penick’s reinvestment in the community.

“To see them step up, especially in this economy, is a very encouraging sign for Moore County as a whole,” Coughlin says. “That’s a major investment that is creating new jobs, but I also think it speaks to the strength of the health care industry here.”

The Business After Hours begins at 5:30 p.m. in Village House, which is at 500 E. Rhode Island Ave. in Southern Pines.

Hutchins says 10 to 15 new jobs will be created now that Village House is complete and Woodlands Apartments are almost done.

Penick currently employs 185 full- and part-time workers.