The Meadows officially welcomes first residents
Luxury Marlborough rental suites offer first class living for seniors

MARLBOROUGH -- Metrowest's newest senior housing development opened with much fanfare last Thursday at 370 Hemenway Street, Marlborough. During a January 17 ribbon cutting ceremony, Marlborough city officials joined representatives from Woburn-based Cummings Properties and New Horizons retirement community, to officially open The Meadows.

Comprised of 57 one and two-bedroom units, this first phase of The Meadows offers some of Metrowest's most spacious rental homes. Exclusively for seniors aged 65 and older, the property was reportedly already nearly three-quarters rented before construction was completed earlier this month.

According to General Manager Robert O'Connor, the "typical" Meadows resident is downsizing from a house in favor of a more convenient lifestyle. "In this case, however, the term 'downsizing' is often a misnomer," said O'Connor, who explained that the Meadows units feature up to 2,200 square foot floor plans. "Actually," he continued, "some residents will 'upsize,' when they move in!"

The Meadows is located on the same 40-acre country campus with New Horizons, which reportedly offers one of the most diverse and extensive retirement living programs in New England. With a wide array of health care services at their fingertips, Meadows residents may well be tapping into the best of two worlds -- fully active luxury rental homes and an on-site continuum of care at New Horizons.

Developed in 1994 from the former Madonna Hall School for Girls, state certified New Horizons entered Marlborough as one of the most comprehensive continuum of care senior residences in New England. "Our existing 200,000 square foot main building is already home to about 247 residents in independent and assisted living programs," O'Connor noted.

O'Connor said that even though Meadows residents are typically younger and more active than their New Horizons neighbors, "the 'just in case' factor makes residents feel very comfortable, knowing that services and conveniences are nearby if ever needed."

O'Connor added that the Meadows rentals feature convenient single-floor living in elevatored buildings. Many offer skylights, patios, and balconies, and a parking garage is under construction. "The community was planned with real people in mind, to accommodate their preferences and lifestyles," he said. "We built people's homes, not just some cookie-cutter complex with no individual personality."

Units also include well-appointed, fully-applianced kitchens, in-unit washers and dryers, spectacular views of meadows and conservation lands, and lots of natural light. O'Connor said that the multiple designs and floor plans allow for selection of a very personalized home. "Some of the enormously-sized units can easily accommodate the contents of entire houses," he added.

Rates for one-bedroom units at The Meadows begin at $1,550, while two-bedrooms start at $1,750. The monthly fee includes heat, hot water, real estate taxes, structural maintenance, and a full daily breakfast in an elegant community room. O'Connor added that residents moving into The Meadows are gladly giving up concerns about landscaping, snow removal, maintenance, and "all those other home ownership burdens. That makes for wonderful peace of mind."

Designed to promote choices and independence, The Meadows hasn't cut back on amenities. O'Connor remarked that "on-site banking, a hair salon, full-service fitness club, on-site religious services, common lounges and dining salons, and much more are all part of the picture." Discounted cable television service is provided at just $10.20 per month, while local phone service averages about $25 per month.

The Meadows' developer, Cummings Properties, LLC of Woburn, is no stranger to the concept of "building what people want." For the past 30 years, the family-owned firm has grown to own and operate nearly eight million square feet of office and residential real estate in 10 communities north of Boston. What's more, officials report that the firm has been debt-free for nearly a decade.

Twelve years ago the company purchased the former Choate Memorial Hospital in Woburn, and created not-for-profit New Horizons at Choate. That upscale 125-resident retirement community has been lauded by state officials as a model for assisted living. The firm also built and managed Place Lane Condominium, a 149-unit luxury condo building in Woburn.

Among a community of active peers, Meadows residents, according to O'Connor, find a much more carefree lifestyle. "There is abundant opportunity for complete privacy, or for socializing with neighbors. The key here is that The Meadows offers all the comforts of home, because it is home," he said.

In addition to the now open 57 units, the remaining 73 suites are scheduled to be completed this summer, in a separate building at 420 Hemenway Street. Residents of that building will enjoy a full three-course dinner served daily, and included as part of the monthly fee.

Additional information on The Meadows is available by calling 508-460-5000, or by stopping by the rental office at 370 Hemenway Street, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. seven days per week. For further details click here.