CLM Fall 2018

CHARLOTTE EAST
• In 2015 a major expansion was planned adding
62 apartments and villas, state-of-the-art skilled
nursing addition and a renovation/expansion of
memory support.
• The 125-bed Asbury Health and Rehabilitation
Center opened in the fall of 2017 providing skilled
care in a patient-centric environment which is a
dramatic shift from traditional institutional care.
• The 70-million dollar expansion, the “Gateway
Promise”, with 62 new apartments, villas and
an amenity-rich Commons area for residents to
enjoy, will be completed this fall. It also includes
Aldersgate’s promise to the greater community to
invigorate East Charlotte in a way that will positively
impact youth, family and senior living.
Community Leader in Action
Aldersgate is committed to be a catalyst for inclusiveness,
intergenerational engagement, advocacy
for elders and greater community enrichment. Their
commitment can be seen in action all over the property.
OurBRIDGEforKids moved to the Aldersgate
campus in June 2017 as an after-school program for
immigrant and refugee children. The Urban Farm at
Aldersgate is a working farm coming soon to help
eastside neighbors enjoy healthy produce. Elders
at Aldersgate work with CMS students in a fourweek
summer reading camp designed to improve
children’s literacy.
Aldersgate recently earned platinum status (the
highest level possible) from SAGECare, the training
and consulting division of New York-based SAGE
(Services & Advocacy for LGBTQ elders). Aldersgate is
the first senior living community on the East Coast
to earn this designation.
The Legacy Lives On
Progress often requires sacrifice, and when residents
learned that the Gateway expansion would bring
down two beloved trees, they were very sad. A Deodar
Cedar and a giant White Oak had to be removed
during construction. The Deodar Cedar, brought from
Israel in 1947, held a strong emotional attachment
among residents and staff. The giant White Oak
was estimated to be 214-220 years-old by a double
counting of its rings. Residents had the outstanding
idea of repurposing wood from the trees, and architect
Faron Franks of Shook Kelley brought in sculptor
Anatoly Tsiris to save the day.
Anatoly is a charming and humble artist from
Ukraine who created beautiful pieces of art from the
wood to keep its legacy alive. Franks says, “Anatoly
brings out its character through process and ‘divines’
the way the wood will best work.” The artistic pieces
now adorn the Cuthbertson Memory Care Town
Center and Meditation Garden, the new Commons
area, Asbury Health and Rehabilitation Center, the
chapel, staircase and main lobby for residents to
admire. When asked how he knows what to make
out of the wood, Anatoly simply said, “I feel it.”
Aldersgate is an active Life Plan Community
PHOTOGRAPH BY GERIN CHOINIERE
Aldersgate CEO Suzanne Pugh collaborated
with artist Anatoly Tsiris, who created inspired
works of art from two special trees that were
cut down in the Gateway expansion.
that serves 450 residents and an additional 600-
700 individuals a year through Asbury Health &
Rehabilitation. The nonprofit promotes wellness,
diversity and a caring community where everyone
has a voice and value. Visit aldersgateccrc.com for
more information.
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