South Burlington senior community announces renovations, displacing 26 residents
Twenty-six seniors must move after the Gazebo Apartments residential care community in South Burlington announced upcoming renovations.
“The economy — and more specifically, senior care — has changed dramatically over the past few years,” said Joe Larkin, CFO of Larkin Hospitality, which manages Gazebo Senior Living, in a statement June 14. “As we look to keep our business competitive and sustainable, we recognize that our building at Gazebo Apartments needs significant renovations and improvements.”
Gazebo Apartments provides independent living and residential care services to seniors. Now, the community’s 26 residents will have 90 days to find new housing, with September 12 set as the final move-out date.
Approximately nine residents will transition to Gazebo North, also located on Williston Road, while others will need to find alternative communities, according to Erin Knox, director of sales and marketing at Larkin Hospitality.
“There is never a perfect time to do it, but we really need to do it for the health of the community,” Knox said.
Knox said that Gazebo is committed to covering moving costs for its residents and will set up one-on-one calls with them to provide additional support.
"This came as a surprise," said Rich Thornton, the son of a Gazebo resident. Thornton's mother, who moved into the facility in November, is now exploring other communities in Chittenden County and in Boston. So far, they have found a lot of available options in local senior living communities.
According to the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, there are 16 other licensed residential care homes in Chittenden County.
“We do not have specific bed numbers available for residential care homes, however, we anticipate more than sufficient capacity across the other licensed facilities,” said Pam Cota, licensing chief for the Vermont Agency of Human Services.
One resident has already left Gazebo while others have scheduled departures in the next week, according to Knox. No details have been released about the renovations.
Contact Blaise Siefer at 978-505-4363 or BSiefer@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Blaise_Siefer.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Gazebo Senior Living announces renovations, displacing 26 residents
