Islebrook Village at Wiscasset, an Everbrook Senior Living Community under construction on Gardiner Road, hosted this month’s Business After Hours gathering of Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday evening April 12. The event drew about three dozen guests to the Chamber office and conference room at 297 Bath Road.

Jenalee Hill, Islebrook Village executive director, and Laura Roehrig, director of community sales, provided an hour-long presentation on the facility anticipated to open in October.

“Today senior living is a constant turning wheel,” said Hill, describing the challenges of providing affordable assisted living and memory care to elderly Americans; Everbrook Senior Living Communities strive to provide these as well as offering “exceptional housing for independent, assisted and memory care senior living.”

Hill joined Islebrook Village Wiscasset a month ago and will stay on its administrative team. A native Mainer, Hill grew up in Lewiston where her parents both worked in the shoe-making industry. After working in finance in New York City, Hill returned to Maine and settled in Topsham where she found work at Highland Green, a retirement community for residents age 55 and older. “Working with seniors there proved to be a wonderful fit for me and I’m very excited about being involved in the project here. It’s going to be a beautiful place when it’s finished,” she said. There is a great need for senior housing in the Midcoast region, and Lincoln County has some of the oldest residents in Maine, she said. 

The Wiscasset project, estimated to cost nearly $30 million, includes a complete renovation of the former elementary school along with the construction of a three-story building at the rear of the property. The inside of the former school building was torn down to its studs and rebuilt entirely, Roehrig told the audience pointing to a floor plan. It will be used to provide multiple levels of memory care for residents, she said. The school’s former multipurpose room has been converted to a dining area and bistro. There’s also a chapel, library, movie theater, salon, fitness room and juice bar. The outdoor courtyard, now enclosed, will be transformed into a flower garden and used as a common area for residents.

Roehrig said the new building will have similar amenities. All of the apartments come with a kitchen, stackable washer/dryer and have a balcony overlooking the grounds. Together the two buildings will have about 105 units; their costs vary but typically start at about $4,000 a month. Rent includes all utilities, three meals a day and Wi-fi. “It’s a 30-day monthly lease requiring the leasee to give 30 days’ notice if they plan to leave,” she explained, adding she’s already received deposits from a number of area residents.

Originally from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,  Roehrig lived in Durham, New Hampshire before moving to Wiscasset to promote Islebrook Village. Over the past few months, she’s been a guest speaker at Wiscasset Senior Center and held a “brunch-and-learn” event at Jodie’s Cafe and Bakery on Water Street. She said the community has been very welcoming to her. Like Hill, she will be staying on once the project is completed and fully open.  

In response to a question, Roehrig said there’s been a lot of interest from area residents interested in working at Islebrook Village. She expects to employ a staff of 70 to 80 full- and part-time workers including nurses, nursing assistants, medical technicians, maintenance workers and office workers. The company’s advertising for a sales and marketing representative.

Islebrook Village at Wiscasset will join a network of six established Everbrook Senior Living communities – three in Connecticut, two in Massachusetts and one that recently opened in Allenstown, New Hampshire. All of their communities are of a similar design and can be seen on the company’s website, said Roehrig. According to the website, all six established Everbrook Senior Living communities received the 2024 Best of Senior Living Award from A Place for Mom, which honors the top 1 to 2% of senior care providers across the U.S. and Canada. Everbrook Senior Living is based in Southhampton, Massachusetts. Islebrook Village at Wiscasset recently opened an office in the former Cromwell Realty building at 61 Flood Ave., Wiscasset. For more information, call 656-7600, or email info@islebrookvillage.com

Appetizers for Friday evening’s event were provided by Julie Bellefleur of Bellefleur Bakery and Catering based in Newcastle. The next WACC Business After Hours event is June 9 at Wiscasset Public Library on High Street. The library is celebrating its 225th year of continuous operation. WACC’s annual dinner meeting is set for May 9. For more information visit www.wiscassetchamber.com