10 May 2016
Community
www.GilbertSunNews.com
Gilbert Classical Academy to share Mesquite Jr. High campus BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Resort Lifestyle Communities representatives treated members of the Gilbert City Council and the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce to a groundbreaking celebration and presentation luncheon for the upcoming retirement community of Copper Springs. GSN photos by Tim Sealy
Well-heeled senior living coming to town BY SRIANTHI PERERA
Gilbert’s soon-to-be-built resort-style senior living community is a reason to look forward to the winter years. Nebraska-based Resort Lifestyle Communities broke ground in April for Copper Springs Resort Lifestyle Retirement Community, located at the southeast corner of Higley and Baseline roads. Opening is scheduled for fall 2017. At a presentation following the groundbreaking, marketing representatives Julie Loder and Kelly Jo Hinrichs indicated that Copper Springs will spare nothing in the way of luxury and convenience. Food and dining program with all meals made from scratch every day and with any special dietary needs taken into consideration? Check. Chefs’ pantry and sandwich and pizza station? Check. Fine dining with tableside service to entertain guests? Check. Weekly housekeeping? Check. A maintenance staff to summon to change a lightbulb or to hang a big screen television? Check. Transportation to medical appointments and to activities in the area? Check. Concierge services? Check. A lifestyle director to organize activities ranging from art classes to Zumba and partner with local entertainers for shows? Check. The monthly rents for living in one of Copper Springs’ 128 immensely livable apartment homes will set you back a few dimes as follows: studio $3,100, one
bedroom $3,000, two bedrooms $3,900 and three bedrooms $4,400. Seniors 55 and older may pay one of these amounts in a single check, and be entitled to all meals and snacks, utilities and a laundry list of amenities. There are no buy-ins or long-term leases. Hinrichs said that the company’s research indicated the Southeast Valley’s need for a community for seniors to remain in the area. The company provides independent living that bridges the gap between owning a home and needing assisted living. “We offer an independent, all-inclusive resort lifestyle so that families can stay in the Gilbert area,” she said. “It’s a place where families will have an incredible peace of mind.” Resort Lifestyle Retirement Community is not new to the senior retirement business; it has established 20 other luxurious communities around the country. Copper Springs will have a 150-seat theater open free for community events; conversation centers, a cabana lounge with a bar and other areas where seniors may spend time with their family; library; wellness and fitness center; resource center; communications center; a man cave and the list goes on. A part-time bank, hair salon and pharmacy/gift shop will also be available on the premises. Home healthcare, assisted living and memory care will be offered in partnership with a local provider. “We’ll be a community with a core in the center,” Hinrichs said.
Kelly Jo Hinrichs of Resort Lifestyle Communities gave a detailed presentation about the amenities that will be available to residents of Copper Springs.
Meanwhile, a charter resident program provides early members the opportunity to select specific apartments by layout and location. The company plans to hold a job fair to hire more than 30 employees for its food and dining services, marketers, a live-in manager couple and other needs. But before that happens, there is the construction to get through. If there are issues, the company, and its contractor Cameron General Contractors, would like to hear from the public at (480) 798-1683. “We’re thoughtful neighbors,” Hinrichs said. “We’re going to pay a lot of attention to traffic patterns and build employee schedules around it. Being thoughtful neighbors means we want to hear from you.” For details, visit www copperspringsretirement.com
Putting fears of a junior high school closure at rest, Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board voted to relocate Gilbert Classical Academy to Mesquite Junior High as a shared campus during the board’s April meeting in the GPS conference hall. Member J. Charles Santa Cruz proposed the motion, which was seconded by member Julie Smith and the board voted 4-1 with member Daryl Colvin casting the dissenting vote. The audience of educators, parents and students broke out in loud applause when Santa Cruz announced that the two junior high schools “should remain open and continue to serve the students and families in their respective areas.” The two other options on the table were the repurposing/closure of Gilbert or Mesquite junior highs. Colvin offered a substitute motion to table the item until the district completes a reboundary process as well as traffic impact and safety studies for any school site proposal. With no support for the motion, it lapsed. GPS Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto said that the district will invest $1.5 million to $2 million to add classrooms, science labs, STEM laboratories and similar facilities to Mesquite Junior High, and that the two principals, Dan Johnson of Mesquite Junior High and Dan Hood of GSA, “will come together as co-leaders on this campus. “Both schools need to go through a year of planning to look at entrances, timelines, whether there’s an interest in a particular theme, design on the Mesquite site,” Kishimoto said. Since the beginning of the school year, the district attempted to find a permanent home for the high performing academy for the 2017-2018 school year, now on temporary digs on Greenfield Road. A committee charged with the task, together with the board, presented 16 options at a forum, which included choices to renovate current buildings, utilize district owned land, share school buildings and for two consolidations that would include the closure of a junior high. The costs of the proposed options ranged from $3 million to $30 million for new construction, Kishimoto said. During the whole process, the district reached for the public’s input. In January, the board whittled its choices to three, held two forums that attracted hundreds from the three schools’ communities and listened to often emotionally charged speeches and established an email address for stakeholders to further voice their views.