“The gradual recovery in the broader economy should encourage more remodeling spending by homeowners,” says Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. “This year could produce the first annual spending increase for the industry since 2006.”

The Remodeling Futures Program, initiated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies in 1995, is a comprehensive study of the factors influencing the growth and changing characteristics of housing renovation and repair activity in the United States. The Program seeks to produce a better understanding of the home improvement industry and its relationship to the broader residential construction industry.

Eagle County, Colorado is a rural resort community of over 54,000 permanent residents, which account for approximately half of its peak population. Eagle County includes the resort communities of Vail and Beaver Creek. The land proposed for the West Eagle CCRC project is adjacent to downtown Eagle, in the heart of the Eagle River Valley. Eagle is a thriving locals’ community 17 miles west of Beaver Creek and 26 miles west of Vail. The Town is home to the County seat and is increasingly becoming an important employment center for the County. There is no CCRC facility in Eagle County—seniors requiring skilled nursing or assisted living facilities leave the County.

The plan for the West Eagle CCRC be a financially self-sustaining, green-built (preferably LEED certified) project, serving a broad spectrum of social-economic residents, including Medicaid recipients, and providing a broad spectrum of care levels, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice and memory care facilities for at least 100 residents, with the ability to expand as the population of Eagle County grows.  The county has provided a fall 2009 summary of market demand for the project.

While the County will accept operator-developer applications, operators that are not CCRC developers should not partner with developers in responding to this RFQ. The County has published a developer RFQ contemporaneously. Team applications between developers and operators that are separate entities are discouraged.

There will be a tour of the West Eagle CCRC project and pre-submittal conference on Friday, June 4, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. Attendance at either tour is not required but respondents are encouraged to attend at least one.  Statements of Qualifications are due in hard and electronic copy, as provided for in this RFQ, no later than Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 3 p.m.

"Creative programs such as gardening give seniors the chance to pass on the wisdom and skills gained from a lifetime of experiences while remaining productive and engaged members of society," said Susan Perlstein, M.S.W., the Founder of NCCA and also Director of Special Projects.

Photos Courtesy of NCCA and Ray Fitzgerald

The second day of the event was held at the United States Botanic Gardens, the oldest botanic garden in North America located near the U.S. Capitol.  Dr. Marianne Krasny, Professor and Chair of the Department of Natural Resources of Cornell University and Director of Mosaics Intergenerational Garden, was the keynote speaker and spoke about the Mosaics program and its efforts to connect youth and elders in community projects with focus on the program’s work with urban gardens in New York City.  Sessions continued into the afternoon and discussed best practices from across the country on how to create communities and promote the added benefits of health through these garden projects.  The afternoon sessions examined initiatives from the Denver Urban Gardens and the The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.  On the final day of the symposium, participants visited community gardens throughout Washington, DC that included Common Good City Farm, an urban farm and education center which grows food for low-income residents in the District and Meridian Hill Park.

For more information on the Symposium, visit the NCCA’s Gardening Symposium

"Trinity Sands will be our first project with this developer, ATOM, LLC, which has broad experience involving diverse investments," stated Donald W. Sapaugh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TrinityCare Senior Living, Inc.  "ATOM, LLC has obtained a Market Acceptance Letter from HUD, which will expedite development on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and its lender is known for financial strength and leadership in senior lending."

"We are pleased to have this amazing opportunity to work with TrinityCare and its leadership in the development of not only a senior living facility, but a community that cost-effectively provides for its residents’ personal and healthcare needs in a high quality living environment," stated David Stewart, member of ATOM, LLC, the land contributor and partner in Trinity Sands.  Mr. Stewart and three other partners contributing the land are experienced developers in the region and plan additional senior-related amenities on the site.

“We are proud to work on this exemplary project alongside other visionary partners including Union City Housing Authority, Fulton County Housing Authority, and Atlanta Housing Authority. Woodbridge is a model community and an integral part of the overall HOPE VI Redevelopment Plan,” said Torian R. Priestly, vice president of development for ADP.

Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation (CAHEC) purchased the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits; Stateside Capital purchased the Georgia State Low Income Housing Tax Credits.  Additional sources of funds for this mixed-income mixed-finance transaction included HOPE VI funds as well as other funds provided by the Housing Authority of Fulton County.

This is the eighth affordable housing facility in Alaska developed by Trapline-CDI, the developer, and financed by AHFC.  Five of the 20 units will be reserved for residents earning 30 percent or less of median income; five will be for residents earning 50 percent or less, and nine will be for residents earning 60 percent or less.

“We are very excited to be a part of the Round Rock community and we will work very hard to provide a great living experience for the areas older adults,” said Breck Collingsworth, President and CEO of Resort Lifestyle Communities,

The solar project, which will be metered, comes with a “performance guarantee” from FLS Energy of the amount of solar energy that will be generated each year. Duke Energy is purchasing renewable energy credits from this solar energy system to meet North Carolina’s renewable energy mandates. FLS Energy will also be responsible for all maintenance of the system. Completion of the solar hot water project in September will establish Friends Homes as one of the most sustainable continuing care retirement communities in the United States.

Wilson Sheldon, CEO, of Friends Homes Inc., said, “It is our belief that we must reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. Installing these solar thermal units in our retirement communities means taking a major step in our commitment to utilizing renewable energy. Not only do we want to be good stewards of the environment, but also, we are looking for ways to contain costs so that our communities remain affordable.”

“This project will establish Friends Home as one of the strongest leaders in North Carolina for developing clean renewable energy for their facilities,” said FLS Energy’s Finance Director, Brownie Newman. “Friends Homes paid nothing upfront and will begin seeing the savings immediately.”

“We are pleased to complete the successful financing of Mirador in the face of what has been not only a very difficult financing period, but one of the most challenging economic periods for our economy in my business career,” said Charles B. Brewer, President and CEO of SQLC. “I believe it reflects very favorably on the concept and design of this senior living community, the talented team that has brought it to the market, and truly the market itself – Corpus Christi – which has embraced the project.”      

The community will serve 125 families seeking an active lifestyle and a premier address close to local restaurants, shops and attractions. 

“Mirador will support the Corpus Christi economy in a big way with a $32,000,000 construction contract,” said Burt Derr, Vice President of Developmental Services of Greystone Communities.  Derr projects that, at the peak of construction, Andres Construction will employ more than 300 construction personnel.