Marjorie P. Lee receives zoning approval for improvements

Contact: ERH Public Relations at (513) 272-5555, ext. 4288

CINCINNATI, Ohio (June 1, 2003) - The Marjorie P. Lee (MPL) Retirement Community, a program of Episcopal Retirement Homes (ERH), Inc., has recently received zoning approval from the City of Cincinnati to improve the Shaw Avenue campus.

Designed to enhance residents’ lives, the $11.5 million project will feature a wellness center, complete with a warm-water pool and spa, additional dining options, new social activity space and a 14-space off-street parking lot. The improvement plan reflects ERH’s wellness philosophy and the need to meet the demands of older adults seeking retirement communities.

“The improvements to Marjorie P. Lee are absolutely necessary if it is to remain a first-class retirement community,” said Doug Spitler, CEO and President of ERH. “We have worked very hard with the neighbors of Hyde Park to develop a plan that will enhance older adults lives and provide a resource for Cincinnatians who wish to stay in their community during their senior years.”

Currently, MPL is home to approximately 200 older adults, 60 percent of whom have been long-time residents of Hyde Park.

Janet Kreider, a 12-year resident of MPL and long-time resident of Hyde Park, is looking forward to the improvements.

“I’ve had broken bones and arthritis, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity for water exercise,” she says. “Having it on the premises means that even the most handicapped among us can benefit.

“I’m also looking forward to the new dining room. We have a very elegant dining room now, but it can get crowded and it is a long walk for some residents with physical challenges. The new dining program will be more accessible and will provide us with more choices -- especially important for future residents.”

The dining improvement plan includes an outdoor dining terrace, casual café for light entrees and formal and private dining rooms. All are designed to accommodate residents with mobility challenges by placing the dining areas in closer proximity to apartments.

The new space will be constructed adjacent to and above the existing building structure, retaining much green space. The wellness center is one highlight of the visually-appealing architectural design. According to Spitler, the center will be used to integrate wellness therapies, which will benefit residents’ health and help them stay independent longer.

For resident Ginny Bohn, a retired schoolteacher and water enthusiast, the wellness center is “a dream come true.”

“I’ve been waiting for this (the pool) since I moved in eight years ago,” she says. “I look forward to the delicious feeling of warmth you get from a heated pool and I know the spa will feel heavenly.”

Additionally, the plan calls for reducing the number of living units by combining smaller apartments into larger, more desirable accommodations. Total apartment capacity will be reduced by 15 (from 104 to 89).

The MPL master plan was approved by the City of Cincinnati following a very detailed revision of a first proposal by ERH executives. The initial plan raised concerns among several Shaw Avenue and Victoria Place neighbors, who felt the addition was too intrusive and feared MPL would expand further down Shaw Avenue. Neighbors also objected to the proposed parking lot, which was originally approved by the City and later upheld during an appeal hearing.

To quell growing speculation of future expansion, ERH placed two of its Shaw Avenue properties (between MPL and Erie Avenue) on the market for sale. The organization also addressed other neighbor concerns by commissioning a sound study and implementing the recommendation of a sound engineer to reduce the noise levels of its cooling towers, committing to install low-profile down lighting to eliminate light pollution on adjacent properties and forming a construction advisory committee with neighbors to address any issues that may arise during construction.

“We want to be good neighbors and we’ve worked hard to respond to neighbor concerns,” said Spitler. “We also want to continue to be good neighbors in the future. We realize we can’t resolve every concern to everyone’s satisfaction, but we certainly try. We definitely have come a long way.”

The project is scheduled to break ground in 2004.

Episcopal Retirement Homes, Inc., is a Cincinnati-based, not-for-profit organization that owns and manages The Marjorie P. Lee Retirement Community and The Deupree Community in Cincinnati and Canterbury Court in West Carrollton, Ohio. Founded in 1951, ERH devotes more than $1 million each year to resident philanthropic services to ensure that no resident is asked to leave due to lack of funds. For more information about ERH, visit www.episcopalretirement.com.

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