Williamsburg, Va. – Dignitaries, local officials, service personnel and corporate executives hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony today for Presidents Pavilion, a new three-building independent living residence that opened on the campus of Patriots Colony At Williamsburg, a Riverside Health System continuing care retirement community.
Patriots Colony At Williamsburg offers independent living, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, nursing home and respite care for those 55 and older. Patriots Colony’s independent living residences are reserved for retired military officers of seven uniform services, civil servants, their spouses or widow(er)s. Its care residences like assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, nursing home and respite service are open to all, no prior career eligibility is required.
The Presidents Pavilion grand opening ceremony was keynoted by Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, an American diplomat and current President of the American Foreign Service Association. During her remarks, Ambassador Stephenson reflected on the virtue and value of public service, emphasizing the importance of community.
“Today we celebrate the opening of this wondeRiverside Foundationul place, in this wondeRiverside Foundationul community,” said Ambassador Stephenson, who offered perspective on current events and life as a Foreign Service officer – a role which required frequent moves and relocations.
“While that has afforded us an opportunity to meet so many interesting people over the course of our careers, it has also taught us how important it is to find a community. And that’s why a place like Patriots Colony is so special,” she said.
“After long careers on the move or on the front lines, it’s a remarkable gift to be with people who understand our journeys and share our values,” Ambassador Stephenson continued.
The Presidents Pavilion expansion, which adds 60 new independent living apartments, brings the total residences within Patriots Colony to 242 apartments and homes serving some 400 residents.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Riverside Health System President and CEO, Bill Downey underscored Riverside’s commitment to the Williamsburg area after sharing a personal story, noting that both of his parents and his wife’s parents were residents of Patriots Colony. He also has a son in the Army.
“When you look at the commitment of Riverside to the greater Williamsburg area, it’s about a quarter of a billion dollars that we have spent in the area to build a great health care team. A big part of that is here at Patriots Colony,” said Downey. “So we’re very excited about today, we’re very excited about the next 25 years and we thank all of you who have been a part of this.”
The three buildings of Presidents Pavilion are named after Virginia’s early leaders: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The style of the building incorporates the traditional brick-accented exterior and blends seamlessly into Patriots Colony’s traditional, yet distinguished architecture and design. Within the buildings, there are three different layouts: The Jamestown, The Yorktown and The Williamsburg, ranging from 1,600 to 1,900 square feet in size. One and two-bedroom options are available, with each layout offering large master bathrooms, double vanities and walk-in closets. Other amenities include full-size kitchens, full-size washer and dryers, patios and balconies, oversized windows, a 24-hour emergency response system, and housekeeping.
Patriots Colony also recently announced extensive renovations to its dining facilities that opened to residents earlier this season, including the build-out of The Bistro, Archie’s Tavern, Fireside and an outdoor eating terrace.
Nancy Littlefield, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Riverside Health System remarked on how the expansions at Patriots Colony go way beyond the physical construction of new buildings.
“In construction, when we expand we often say we’re expanding a footprint,” said Littlefield. “It’s so exciting to say today that we’ve not just expanded a footprint, we’ve added a neighborhood to Patriots Colony.”
“And our neighbors will be cared for under the Riverside mission, which is to care for others as we would care for those we love,” Littlefield continued.
Williamsburg, which was recently ranked as one of the “10 Great Places to Retire for Your Health” by Kiplinger's Personal Finance, is known for its mild climate and recreational facilities, among other amenities. With close proximity to several major military facilities and the U.S. capitol, Williamsburg is an especially popular retirement destination for government and service personnel.
Presidents Pavilion is open and accepting new residents. For more information, visit patriotscolony.org.