Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | January 20, 2020 | wbjournal.com As Baby Boomers age, 55-plus communities are popping up in Central Mass. Staying active R E A L E S T A T E FOCUS BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor PHOTO/GRANT WELKER 59 North Main Sherborn 12 Avenu at Natick Natick 164 Brooksmont Holliston 66 Del Webb Chauncy Lake* Westborough 700 Enclave at Boxborough* Boxborough 50 Highcrest at Meadow Walk Sudbury 57 Holliston Woods Holliston 66 Millwood Preserve* Framingham 129 Northside Meadows Framingham 60 Regency at Glen Ellen Millis 324 Stonebrook Village Southborough 15 The Lanterns at Warren Woods Ashland 93 The Trails Hopkinton 180 Upton Ridge Upton 139 Community Location Units A range of newly completed or under-development residential communities for those 55 and older are adding roughly 2,000 new housing units across Central Massachusetts: New 55+ communities *Not yet opened Sources: Respective developments I n just over a month of living at Avenu at Natick, Elaine and William Murphy have become friendly with other retired neigh- bors, thanks to a mix of activities at the new residential community meant to help them stay active. "e socialness of it was a big sell for me," William said. "I don't know how my wife feels." "Being a social butterfly that I am," Elaine quickly added. "is is nothing like we've had before. is is something that anyone would dream of having in retirement." e couple, which moved from Framingham, is part of an age group in the past might more oen be snowbirds, trading cold Massachusetts winters for sunnier and warmer climates in places like Florida and Arizona. But whatever may be keeping people close to home – family, a job, or all the region offers – Baby Boomers and other older adults are increasingly moving to dedicated communities where they can enjoy amenities tailored for them. Communities built exclusively for those 55 or older are on the rise in Central Massachusetts, with a combined more than 2,000 units either underway or just completed. ey almost always have a few things in common: Common spaces and amenities meant to foster a sense of community, and a lack of big yards requiring a lot of upkeep. At Avenu, a community opened in October with 164 apartments, residents have use of weekly fitness classes, a put- ting green, a dining room and a kitchen able to be reserved for family gatherings. A bar offers continental breakfast each morning and happy hour drinks each aernoon. Del Webb Chauncy Lake, set to open in February in Westborough, will have a full-time planner for social events, as well as a function ballroom, a fitness room and other features. At Regency at Glen Ellen in Millis, a part-time lifestyle coordinator plans activities and sets a calendar of events. e community has a clubhouse with a Reid Blute, the vice president for land acquisition for Pulte Homes, and Melanie Chatterton, the sales consultant at Pulte's development Del Webb Chauncy Lake in Westborough, due to open in February.

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