Media Contact:
Ashley Lusk
504-952-2107
Lusk@gchp.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Orleans-based developer Gulf Coast Housing Partnership (GCHP) gathered on February 15 with partner East Baton Rouge Council on Aging (EBRCOA) and local government and community leaders for the grand opening of the Lotus Village Senior Living Community in Baton Rouge.
The Lotus Senior Living Community has 56 single and duplex-style homes with 116 one and two-bedroom apartments and features allowing seniors to age in place. Residents have hard wood floors, in-unit washers and dryers and porches. The buildings are built to FORTIFIED building standards which includes storm rated windows and roofing.
GCHP served as the developer for the $25 million senior residential development.
We appreciate the support of our funding partners who helped make this senior-living development possible,” said GCHP President and CEO Kathy Laborde. Lotus Village Senior Living Community will provide residents with quality, affordable housing and convenient access to essential health and well-being support services offered through EBRCOA.”
Funding for the $22 million senior living project comes from Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery Funds from the Louisiana Office of Community Development; 4 % low-income housing tax credits from the Louisiana Housing Corporation, syndicated to National Equity Fund; tax-exempt bond construction and permanent lending from Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust; and affordable housing support from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, sponsored by Red River Bank.
The Lotus Village Senior Living Community is one of the anchors in the EBRCOA’s Lotus Village Community, including the Lotus Headquarters and Lotus Senior Center. The Lotus Headquarters is a new 25,000-square-foot administrative building fully equipped with a 10,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art commercial kitchen. The Lotus Senior Center is a state-of-the-art adult activity center designed with cognitive and physical enhancement activities. The facility also houses the Lotus Food Pantry, The Lotus Computer Lab, a fully equipped geriatric cardio room, and a multi-purpose space.
“I am honored as CEO to have worked closely with community leaders, partners, and seniors to advocate, strategically plan and build a vision for a network of successful programs and activities in a newly developed senior community like Lotus Village that will lead to a greater quality of life, personal satisfaction, and higher levels of independence for our seniors,” stated Tasha Clark-Amar, CEO of EBRCOA.
The Lotus Village Community is one of 400 dedicated and recognized senior villages in the world and the very first senior village in Louisiana, as designated by the Village to Village Network (VTVN).