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President and CEO Mark R. Zwerger and Vice President of Sales Christa Picciano-Daniello were the headliners at a standing-room only session on the inspiration, financing and implementation of the ongoing, large-scale refurbishments at The Osborn, the continuum of care community in Rye, NY.
They were joined by panelists Gregg Scott from the Lancaster, PA based RLPS architecture firm and Andrews Nesi from HJ Sims, the Fairfield-based investment banking firm that helped structure financing for the 107-year old retirement community.
When CEO and President Mark R. Zwerger began his tenure at The Osborn in 1988, the 54-acre campus had three buildings that had been constructed between 1908 and 1935. “Little had changed in 80 years,” remembers Mr. Zwerger. Working with The Osborn Board, Mr. Zwerger launched Pathway 2000 in the 1990’s and the transformation began.
The Osborn team spoke about the $120 million, 10-year Master Plan that added 148 apartments for independent and assisted living, 20 duplex garden homes, an informal dining room, and an 84-bed skilled nursing facility. An award-winning, 13-bed Memory Care center for those with late-stage dementia and Alzheimer's was completed in 2013. Ongoing renovations impact the dining rooms, offices, public areas, and entryways.
The Osborn recently renovated its fitness center and aerobics room to support its wellness program; a community café will be opening in late December.
Gregg Scott, the lead architect from RLPS, explained the process for creating a cohesive plan for the interiors that pays homage to the buildings’ Beaux Arts architectural details. His slides showed how the introduction of colors and lighting fixtures transformed the spaces to feel contemporary.
LeadingAge is the national organization of non-profit facilities, communities and providers who serve the needs of the aging population. Seven thousand five hundred members attended the event in Boston, MA, last week that included sessions on trends affecting the many disciplines involved in the industry. Keynote speakers were Atul Gawande, author of "Being Mortal" and Daniel Pink author of "Drive" and "To Sell is Human."