Belmont Village Westwood Now Open
Belmont Village Senior Living recently celebrated the opening of its twentieth community – the fifth in Greater Los Angeles – on Wilshire Blvd. in the heart of Westwood. The building made its public debut during a two-day grand opening celebration Saturday, July 25 and Sunday July 26. Belmont Village Westwood is an example of successful community collaboration with the UCLA Emeriti and Retirees Joint Housing Committee, who encouraged the development of senior housing near the campus, with Westwood United Methodist Church who made the site available and with the neighboring Holmby-Westwood Property Owners Association, who became active participants in helping to shape the project.
“This building, more than any other, has embodied our ‘community within a community’ philosophy from the outset. Through our early collaboration with the Joint Housing Committee, and the wonderful friendships we’ve built with our neighbors, we have created a place that we believe both reflects and embraces the interests and values of our residents. Belmont Village Westwood will be an engaging and vibrant place with ample opportunities for residents to stay involved,” said Patricia Will, president and co-founder of Belmont Village Senior Living. “We look forward to a very active and enriching relationship our West LA community.”
Lifestyle amenities at Belmont Village Westwood include several multi-purpose meeting rooms including a library, a technology/ business center, screening theater, professionally supervised exercise facility and swimming pool, and courtyards. Hospitality and dining services include chef-prepared meals with catering services and outdoor dining, concierge, underground parking with valet and transportation services. Developer Belmont Village, L.P. handled project management with construction partners, contractor CW Driver and architect RNL Design.
The building’s contemporary urban architecture fits with the prevailing look of the Westwood corridor but features a welcoming green belt at street level. The 162,000-square-foot building accommodates 168 individual residences for independent, assisted living, and Alzheimer’s care with studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom plans. The rate structure is a monthly lease, with no buy-in required.
“We developed the Belmont Village concept with the guidance of leading university experts in the fields of gerontology, dementia, architecture, hospitality and dining and, of course, with the input of our residents and families,” said Will. “I’ve seen the results of our programs within my own family and with hundreds of Belmont residents over the years—it’s been remarkable and very gratifying to be able to provide such a positive experience for so many.”
Belmont Village and the UCLA Emeriti and Retirees Center will continue to collaborate on UCLA-centered activities and programs to take place both at the community and on campus when the school year starts in August. Belmont’s resident council will play a large role in defining interests and developing programs, and a task force has been formed at Belmont Village to explore opportunities for involvement and interaction with the university. Regular shuttle service to campus will be provided by the community.