Round-up Notes by Ellen Ashton-Haiste
Active older adults who eschew the term "senior" may find a philosophy to match their own at one of Florida’s newest housing developments, Mirasol at Celebration.
The 209-unit luxury apartment community in Disney’s town of Celebration in Osceola County has been designed for what Mike Mulhall, director for the developer, GDC Properties, calls a "new active adult market that is far younger and far more affluent than its predecessors – and years away from ‘retirement’ in the conventional sense."
Indicative of the junior-senior orientation of the project is the incorporation of a business centre with internet connections, copier, fax and conference room into the facilities – appropriate for pre-retirement or semi-retired entrepreneurs.
Mulhall says that in the lexicon of this population, "free is probably a more descriptive word than ‘senior.’ They are affluent enough and well-educated enough to enjoy all the benefits of freedom from their careers, from their family responsibilities and from the economic pressures that come with all those responsibilities."
Early in the conceptual stages, planners conducted a survey to determine what this population wants in a rental apartment community and incorporated their findings into the final design, says GDC president Sam Ginsburg.
Space and convenience were primary requirements, he says. The average living area of Mirasol apartments is 1,550 square feet and each has 10-foot ceilings and eat-in kitchens with doors that open onto screened porches. The $27-million community also offers four penthouse units with more than 2,000 square feet of living space.
The apartments also include state-of-the-art telecommunications technology, including broadband internet connections, satellite television and surround-sound, at least three telephone lines, and a Brinks-monitored security system. The community clubhouse offers DirectTV and Cyber Cafe links.
Ginsberg says the development, which includes a fitness centre and spa plus full-time concierge service, has been designed to meet the social needs of residents, as well and to foster "a lifestyle that accommodates meeting and making new friends.
The spa offers services including body wraps and scrubs, aroma and reflex therapy, facials, manicures and pedicures and use of a Jacuzzi tub.
Other amenities and services include bocce and tennis courts; a car-wash area; a library with books, magazines, videos and DVDs to borrow; complimentary guest suites; and a walking trail along the canal from Mirasol to Celebration’s Lakeside Park.
The town itself has been called "one of the most innovative communities of the 20th century," designed to incorporate old-fashioned appeal with modern technology and convenience. Built along a lakeside promenade, the downtown features a collection of unique shops and eateries.
It also incorporates miles of walking and bike paths and a par-72 golf course designed by architects Robert Trent Jones, senior and junior. Also nearby are Walt Disney World Golf, part of the PGA tour for 30 years with five four-star championship courses; Champions Gate, a 36-hole course that’s world headquarters for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy; and Falcon’s Fire Golf Club, a Rees Jones course.