Penn State Intercom......August 30, 2001
College town benefits draw variety of
people to new retirement community
For the Wellers and
Cle mmers, future
residents of The Village at Penn State, a major attraction of the planned
retirement community is the abundance of educational, cultural and sports
opportunities at the University and in the region.
"We decided to stay here because there are so many things to do off and on campus, sports and non-sports activities," said Harry Weller of State College, 73, who retired in 1996 as physician in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and earlier from the U.S. Public Health Service. "We don't need such a large home anymore and it's difficult to keep up. We liked what we saw at the Village."
"Being Penn State sports fans, when the Village idea came up, we both knew we wanted to stay in the area," said Jean Weller, also 73, a retired part-time instructor of physical education courses. She noted that in the past, they have enjoyed attending a wide range of sporting events ranging from basketball to women's lacrosse, plus concerts and plays.
A dedication was held this week to kick off construction at The Village at Penn State, a University-affiliated retirement community off Fox Hollow Road on the University Park campus. Although there are many retirement communities located in college towns, The Village at Penn State is among the few facilities nationwide officially affiliated with a university.
More than 90 residences have been reserved, about 60 percent of the available 150 apartments and cottages. About 70 percent of the group resides in Pennsylvania; about 30 percent will come from other states such as Florida, Arizona, California, New York and New Jersey.
"The Village at Penn State is an exciting project because of the opportunities for teaching, research and service programs of the University to connect with the residents," said President Graham B. Spanier. "One example is the demand for greater training and knowledge in the field of gerontology and related disciplines such as medicine, nursing, family studies, nutrition and health administration -- all strengths of Penn State.
"In addition,
many of today's retirees are interested in volunteering their considerable
expertise, taking classes and attending artistic, cultural and sporting
events," he added.
"The wealth of untapped expertise of our alumni and friends for teaching
or volunteering also is waiting to be explored."
The Village at Penn State will be built on a 160-acre site less than a mile northwest of Beaver Stadium. A life-care retirement community for people 62 years old and above will be built on 50 acres of University-owned land; for younger retirees, a planned residential development will sit on an adjoining 80-acre site between the continuing care retirement community and the Toftrees residential community.
The first phase includes 150 independent residences, assisted living apartments, skilled nursing suites and accommodations for Alzheimer/dementia care. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2002 or early 2003.
The project team comprises Cooperative Retirement Services of America Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., and Pinnacle Development, LLC, of State College.
Penn State will not own or operate the facility. The project does not involve any investment by Penn State or any use of state tax dollars.
A nonprofit community, the Village at Penn State is governed by a board of directors who are University administrators: Peter Weiler, associate vice president for development and alumni relations; Gary Schultz, senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer; Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost; and Janis Jacobs, vice president for administration.
For Dick and Kay Clemmer of Lewistown, the friendliness of the people in Central Pennsylvania is another plus.
"It's such a beautiful state. We love the area and the people," said the 79-year-old retired engineer, originally from Chester County near Philadelphia.
There are no formal ties with Penn State in the Clemmer family -- Dick is a Drexel University graduate and was employed by a Philadelphia oil company. His wife, Kay, attended Drexel as well, and their sons graduated from several other universities.
"We felt the Village's prices were good, the amenities were very fine, and the location was beautiful," he said. "We liked the layout of the Village's accommodations and the proximity to so many activities."
Another attractive benefit is the life-care program with on-site health care at the Village Health Care Center, when needed, for very little additional cost.
"We were interested knowing that aspects of medical care would be available when you need it," said Harry Weller. "Both the Village at Penn State and the surrounding community have excellent resources if you need them."
The average age of the future residents is late 60s or early 70s, which is younger than the average retirement community resident, according to Carol Herrmann, president of Pinnacle Development, who is part of the Village's development team.
"Many people are interested in the amenities that include a fitness facility, library, a bookstore, activity rooms and access to tickets for athletic and cultural events," she said. "Future residents have met at a variety of cultural and social events designed to bring them together in interesting and enjoyable ways, and they are already planning activities."