Belmont Village Senior Living reached a construction milestone with the “topping out” of its twenty-fourth community located at 1100 San Pablo Avenue in Albany. 
Contractor W.E. O’Neil completed the concrete structure of the four-story building in late August with the final roof placement. The milestone was celebrated with an on-site barbeque for subcontractors and special guests. Belmont Village Albany is scheduled to open in fall of 2017 and will provide 175 units of Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care for area residents.
The senior living community is a part of a mixed use development project on land owned by University of California, Berkeley. Belmont Village entered into a ground lease with the University and has an affiliation agreement with the UC Berkeley Retirement Center. As a part of the City of Albany’s planning and development process, Belmont Village will be including several design elements to create enhancements that will serve the surrounding community, such as expanded walk and bike paths to offer public access to local retail and amenities, expansive landscaping and public art specially commissioned for the project. The company is following Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) criteria to achieve LEED Gold certification on the project. The LEED rating system was created by the United States Green Building Council, to evaluate and encourage environmental performance and sustainable design.
“We plan to serve the elder residents of the City of Albany, and we’ll play an active role in our new city,” said Patricia Will, Belmont Village Founder and CEO. “We want to thank the UC Berkeley Real Estate Department for their leadership in a nationwide trend in university-based senior housing, thus allowing university retirees and emeriti to remain close and connected to their alma mater.”
Residents of the City of Albany, UC Berkeley retirees and other designated UC affiliates will be given a priority leasing status when the community opens and a reservation wait list has been established. “We’ve had a lot of interest and excitement from members of the Albany and University communities, many of whom have been watching us move through the development process for years,” said Will.
As a part of Belmont Village’s affiliation agreement with the UC Berkeley Retirement Center (UCBRC), a joint planning committee with representatives from Belmont Village, UCBRC, and UC retiree groups is meeting regularly to work on developing and maintaining an ongoing, enriching connection with the University. The committee will focus on three distinct areas – culture, education and lifelong learning, and intergenerational opportunities, to include internships, volunteerism and community involvement. Belmont Village plans to stay connected to the surrounding community by hosting programs, meetings and functions with both University and Albany-based organizations.
“Belmont Village has an established reputation for encouraging innovative programs,” said Will. “I see exciting new prospects as we reach each new level of engagement. Our joint planning committee is working hard to keep a focus on cultural and thought-provoking programs for our residents and our community. We look forward to training and volunteer opportunities for both students and residents.”
For More Information:
Amy Self, aself@belmontvillage.com
Julie Walke, jwalke@belmontvillage.com
Belmont Village is the owner and operator of Belmont Village Albany. UC Berkeley and the Retirement Center are not financially or legally involved in the community and have no responsibility or liability for its operation. For information about Belmont Village Albany, please call 510-525-4554 or visit www.belmontvillage.com