Elmswood NEWS
Community Centre Nearly Complete
The Press – Retirement advertising feature
Published Thursday, July 1, 2010
Residents and staff at Elmswood Retirement Village are excited about a ground-breaking event that took place last week.
Bushnell Builders will literally be breaking ground to begin construction of Elmswood’s new community centre, marking a new chapter for the village’s current residents and those moving in to the recently completed villas.
“With a swimming pool, spa, gymnasium, library, theatre and lounge, the community centre will enhance the lifestyle of all our residents,” says Elmswood sales consultant Anne Peters.
The 10 new villas, which are ready for residents to move into, are located in Elmswood Villas, the fully gated community being established next to the retirement village. Carefully positioned for sun and privacy, the villas vary in floor area and feature two bedrooms, an ensuite bathroom, an additional toilet and a garage.
As part of the Elmswood Villas community, residents have the reassurance of being able to share the amenities and professional services of the neighbouring village, while still enjoying independent living. For additional peace of mind, the external maintenance, gardening and lawn mowing is taken care of, while a 24-hour emergency service ensures nursing assistance is available from the main facility at the press of a button.
Once it is completed, the community centre will be the heart and focal point of the villas, drawing residents together for fun, relaxation and companionship, Peters says.
“Like the villas, the community centre will have a really nice environment, set amongst attractive, landscaped gardens.”
At its entrance a high, glass-ceiling foyer will lead to two, separate lounge areas. One will double as a movie theatre and activity room, while the other will include a cafe area with a full kitchen that residents can use for informal get-togethers with each other or with their visitors. Both lounges will open to north-facing courtyards, creating sheltered places to sit and enjoy the warmer weather.
For book lovers, the community centre will include a library with extensive shelving for books, as well as computers with internet access. The centre will also cater for those who like to keep active, with a gymnasium, spa pool and an indoor, heated swimming pool with ramped access.
“We already organise lots of activities and functions for residents but having larger, purpose-built facilities will enable us to plan on a grander scale,” says Peters.
“At the moment we have regular activities such as tai chi, housie, bridge, scrabble, movies, a happy hour, indoor bowls and exercise classes, plus there are regular church services and performances by visiting entertainers. All these and many other activities will be held in the community centre once it is completed.
“We will also be able to hold our larger functions there, such as our annual Christmas function. We’ve had that at a nearby school in the past, so we’re looking forward to having our own facilities, so residents can bring together their family and friends in their own community.”
After its completion early next year, the community centre will have a grand opening, when the public is welcome to tour the new facilities. In the meantime, the recently built villas are open for viewing every Wednesday from 12pm to 2pm or by appointment.
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was thrilling to learn that Elmswood came FIRST PLACE in the Papanui area, and only missed out by ONE point in coming first in the whole of Christchurch! 
