Federal, State and Local Elected Officials Visit Gloucester’s Main Street Landing

Virginia’s first ground-up aging in place development is collaboration among Andor Development, Ryan Homes and Riverside Health System.

GLOUCESTER, Virginia – Gloucester’s Main Street Landing community that helps residents age in a place of their choosing received a strong endorsement from federal, state and local elected officials during their visit earlier this month.

Main Street Landing, the state’s first ground-up aging in place development, features Ryan Homes-built residences that are close to shopping and dining establishments. Residents are connected to Riverside Health System, the region’s leading health care provider and have the latest technology for access to telemedicine thanks to Cox Communications installing high speed fiberoptic internet. Andor Development brought the partners together to offer an affordable option on behalf of local residents who want to remain in their homes as they age.

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Montross), Del. Keith Hodges (R-Gloucester) and Gloucester Board of Supervisors Chairman Robert “JJ” Orth toured the new aging-in-place community and listened to multiple presentations that stressed how an innovative, integrated approach that embraces proactive planning is best for successful aging.

Wittman called Main Street Landing a “great example of how communities come together.”

“Community-based solutions are the way for us to best address the needs of our community, the ability to reduce healthcare costs, and to address quality of life issues,” he said. “Kudos to Gloucester. You all are obviously setting the example and leading the way.”

Hodges commended the team behind the initiative, noting, “this is a prime example of how rural coastal Virginians come together to care for each other.”

Orth added, “we are filling a gap for senior housing right here in the community of Gloucester.”

Angela Healy, founder and president of Andor Development, collaborated with Riverside Health  System and Ryan Homes for the project targeted at those ages 55 and older. There are a total of 126 single-family detached houses in Main Street Landing, which have access to health and wellness services and support from Riverside Health System.

“Main Street Landing is not an ordinary subdivision,” Healy said. “It’s really quite the opposite. It’s quite extraordinary. A developer came together with a health system, with a national builder, and had all the components to build from the ground up a true aging-in-place community.”

Main Street Landing is less than a mile from Gloucester Village and close to nearby parks and the York and Ware rivers. The one-story homes are designed with aging in mind, offering wider doorways, no yardwork, walk-in showers and a host of other amenities that make day-to-day living manageable.

“Most people would say given a choice they would not want to move into a traditional nursing home. (They) would much rather age in place in their own home,” said Ed Heckler, President, Lifelong Health and Aging Related Services, Riverside Health System.

Main Street Landing “really does match the Riverside mission to care for others as we would care for those we love,” said Dr. Melvin Schursky, a general surgeon at Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, who shared more information about Riverside’s services with the guests. Schursky also said his mother-in-law purchased a home at Main Street Landing.

Main Street Landing opened in October 2020 and anticipates all 126 homes will sell by the first quarter of 2023. Andor Development expects to sell 40 houses by the end of April 2021. Currently seven residents have moved into their new homes.

Healy led Wittman and Hodges on a tour of a model home, and they delivered welcome baskets to residents.

Other guests at the April 1 event included Joe Schumacher, District Director for Congressman Wittman; Carol Steele and George Bains, Deputy Gloucester County administrators; Ann Ducey-Ortiz, Director Planning & Zoning Gloucester County; Kevin Landry, Manager Environmental Programs Gloucester County and Rick Pearce, Chairman Main Street Preservation Trust.

Click here to learn more about Andor Development’s Main Street Landing.