It was groundbreaking — not just for the new construction, but also its funding.
Delayed by more than two years thanks to COVID-19, McGregor has broken ground on new independent living apartments that will be a part of its East Side campus. McGregor has also started restoration of 26 existing apartments, bringing the total number of new or refurbished apartments to 80 at the site.
The renovation and construction will bring much-needed affordable and safe senior living options to the area. Nestled in a wooded 45-acre site north of Mayfield and Lee roads, McGregor’s campus includes classic Tudor-style buildings that make it look more like a park than a senior living community. It accommodates lower-income residents as well as those who pay privately.
“Two years ago, we announced that McGregor was one of four organizations in Ohio to be awarded a $3 million HUD 202 grant to build and renovate a total of 80 new units of affordable apartments on campus,” says Lee Ann O’Brien, chief marketing officer of the McGregor Foundation. “When we received the grant back in February of 2020, it was the first time in 11 years that HUD had awarded any grant to an organization in the senior services industry. We were very honored to be a recipient of the grant, but also proud that we could attain the funding.”
McGregor’s leadership worked with one of its partners, CHN Housing Partners, to secure $15.5 million in tax credits through Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA); $500,000 of Federal Home Loan Funds; $550,000 in Home Funds from Cuyahoga County and East Cleveland; and $1,050,000 in grant funding from the Weinberg Foundation and Sewer District. McGregor also made a $3 million investment to bring the project to fruition.
While new construction is expected to be completed in June 2023, the renovations are expected to be completed in September. All of the apartments have one-bedroom floor plans and include all appliances.
To age in a place means to have the opportunity to live in a place safely, with dignity and a place that you choose. One in five adults will be 65 or older by 2030.
“This grant will help us to leverage our community partnerships to build affordable housing options for our neighbors,” states President and CEO Ann Conn.
“That includes refrigerators, microwaves, stovetops, ovens, plenty of counter space and cupboards,” says O’Brien. “Obviously, residents also have access to our beautiful grounds, gardens and walking paths. They can also participate in any activities that are held on our campus.”
Perhaps more importantly, residents have access to McGregor’s entire continuum of care on its main campus, which includes senior independent living, assisted living and other supportive services that range from long-term nursing care, rehabilitation and hospice.
The main campus is also home to one of McGregor’s PACE locations. An acronym that stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, PACE is a nursing home alternative that enables older adults to receive care while living at home — a major growth trend in senior care nationally — and one of McGregor’s top care priorities. McGregor is currently the only provider of the national PACE program in Ohio.
“It’s managed care that provides all of the essentials an individual would need to stay at home as long as they can,” O’Brien explains.
That includes durable medical equipment and an interdisciplinary team of physicians and caregivers who work with participants and their families to provide all levels of care, including medications. PACE also provides a variety of important nonmedical services, such as home-delivered meals and transportation.
