NEWCASTLE, Wash. — Seniors housing developer Aegis Living has broken ground on assisted living/memory care community Aegis Gardens in Newcastle near Seattle, marking the Pacific Northwest’s first senior living community for Chinese-Americans.
Situated on a 7.5-acre waterfront site with access to Lake Boren, the resort-style, 110-home community is slated to open in 2017. When completed, Aegis Gardens’ activity center will host civic activities and cultural exhibitions. The center will also provide daycare services to promote multigenerational engagement.
According to Nielson, 92,000 Chinese-Americans live within a 25-mile radius of the Newcastle location.
Aegis Gardens’ community programming will include celebrations of Chinese holidays, traditional cuisine representing major regions of China, mahjong, calligraphy, cribbage, Tai Chi classes, a central Zen garden and a tearoom. Staff fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English will provide 24-hour care.
The development site in Newcastle, a block from the Bellevue city line, is culturally relevant for Chinese-Americans because immigrants from China mined coal there in the late 1800s, contributing to Seattle’s rise to prominence.