MANSFIELD — Growing older often means balancing independence with the need for additional support. Silver Birch of Mansfield hopes to offer both.
During Thursday’s grand opening celebration, Vermilion Development CEO David Cocagne reflected on a generation reaching a new stage of life.
“This year, the leading age of the baby boom generation turns 80,” Cocagne said. “Like many of her peers, my mom can no longer live safely at home. But my mom still wants to live with as much dignity, autonomy and independence as possible.”
Cocagne said his mother may not be able to do everything she once did, but she still wants to “write her own story.” That desire led his family to move her into assisted living, much like the residents who now call Silver Birch home.
The $38 million assisted-living community rises on the former Appleseed Middle School property at 300 Cline Ave. More than 100 seniors will eventually call the facility home. Today, 27 residents live there.
One of those residents, Shirley Zimmerman, moved into Silver Birch a little more than a month ago. During Thursday’s ceremony, she cut the ribbon marking the facility’s official opening.
Meeting a growing need in the community
Cocagne said the generation once known as the baby boom now carries another label: the silver tsunami.
Millions of older adults continue to age into a stage of life that requires more support, he said, and many will not have the financial resources to pay for long-term care when they can no longer safely remain at home.
“Silver Birch exists to meet that need,” Cocagne said.
He described the community as a place where older adults can live with dignity, independence and peace of mind regardless of their financial resources.
The three-story development offers 120 studio and one-bedroom apartments for residents 55 and older. The project marks the first Ohio development for Chicago-based Vermilion Development and the first Ohio location for Silver Birch Living.
Residents have access to laundry rooms, a barber and beauty shop, library, fitness and physical therapy center, social spaces and outdoor amenities that include walking paths, a gazebo and patio.
The community also provides restaurant-style meals, a full activity calendar and transportation to local retail destinations and community events.
Silver Birch employs approximately 40 to 45 workers, including nurses, aides, culinary staff, maintenance workers and housekeepers. Staff members remain on site around the clock, and each apartment includes an emergency call system.
Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry said the city is proud to be the home of the first investment from Vermilion Development in Ohio.
Perry said the first thing she noticed when walking through the property were local photos and history, allowing residents to see familiar things when they move in.
“You have set a very high bar for others to follow in affordable housing, not just in Mansfield, but across the state and we are so pleased to be a part of it,” Perry said.
Affordability remains a priority
Company officials have repeatedly emphasized affordability as a cornerstone of the project.
“When I said this is affordable to everyone, I genuinely meant that,” Cocagne previously said.
He explained Medicaid covers assisted-living services for many residents, while state guidelines and low-income housing tax credits cap room-and-board costs.
Ohio Department of Aging Director Ursel J. McElroy said her agency works every day toward making Ohio the best place in the nation to age.
“Today, that vision is becoming a reality,” McElroy said.
McElroy said the project marks a culmination of many years of work and collaboration.
She added their department worked with the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Medicaid.
McElroy said with the growing coalition of affordable assisted living communities across the state, they know strong, public and private partnerships are powerful.
“This is an example of what that power can do when we work together,” she said.
Executive Director of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Bill Beagle, said Ohio’s population is aging which is why investments in affordable housing is so important.
The development also advances a policy initiative approved through House Bill 33 that expands affordable assisted-living options across Ohio. According to Cocagne, state Sen. Mark Romanchuk helped spearhead the effort.
Romanchuk recalled first meeting Cocagne years ago.
“After I heard David speak, I thought I need to look into this further and fast-forward, here we are,” Romanchuk said. “I can’t thank Silver Birch enough for just simply doing what they said they were going to do. That doesn’t happen very much anymore in this world.”
Today, when Romanchuk drives past the property, he said he sees more than a completed development.
“I no longer see an empty lot,” he said. “I see life.”
(Photos from the Silver Birch of Mansfield ribbon cutting. Credit: Hannah Martin)
