This article is reprinted with permission from the Plain Dealer.

Where BMOC is in AARP: Oberlin attracting seniors

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 by Laura Johnston, Plain Dealer Reporter

Oberlin, known for liberal college kids, vegetarian hippies - and excellent retirement opportunities.

Kendal at Oberlin, a 315-resident continuing-care community, trailblazed the retirees-return-to-campus trend when it opened in 1993. The city of 8,000 boasted a historic downtown, low cost of living, walkable streets, senior center and, the giant cherry, a top liberal arts college with heaps of classes, lectures and performances.

Since then, Lorain County has added a recreation center and unveiled a bike path.

And now, two more seniors-only developments are on the drawing board: Crisilis Development Co.'s 56 units of affordable rental housing on North Park Street and The Gables on Main Street, 51 units of houses, duplexes and triplexes by Welcome Nursing Home.

A retail-and-residential complex planned for East College Street could also house seniors.

"The depth and the breadth of the resources in the community, the walkability of the community, it's all A-plus, A-plus for senior housing," said Debbie Somerville, managing member of Crisilis.

Crisilis, partnering with Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, still depends on state money. But Oberlin City Council has approved the necessary rezoning, said interim City Manager Gary Boyle.

The Gables, which is paired with 28 units of assisted living, has also won preliminary approval from the city's Planning Commission.

"I think the college definitely pulls people in their retirement ages because they offer so many things, as well as the city," Welcome President Jill Wessell-Herron said. "Older living accommodations have been minimal in Oberlin for many years. Either you had a big old house or you had an apartment."

In 2000, residents 65 and older made up 15 percent of the city's population, according to the U.S. Census. That's slightly higher than the national average of 12.4 percent.

It makes sense that college towns draw retirees, a movement touted in news magazine trend stories and top 10 lists.

Senior citizens can audit classes, attend performances and visit a well-stocked art museum, all for free. Alumni can capture a sense of nostalgia.

"It's a small town, but it has a lot to offer because of the college," said Joanne Norenberg, 72, who moved from Fairview Park to Kendal in January 2006 with her husband.

The city is peaceful, especially compared to Cleveland, Norenberg said. She can play tennis year-round, take continuing-education classes and attend concerts, which often come to Kendal. College students energize her church.

"There's no lack of things to do," Oberlin College spokeswoman Betty Gabrielli said.

Aging gracefully requires such a "proactive" mindset, said Eva Kahana, a sociology professor at Case Western Reserve University. Interest in exercising, making new friends and learning new information keeps older people healthy and happy.

"Being near the college campus . . . is something that educated elderly people would find to be very attractive," she said. "With better medicine and self-care and better fitness, we're seeing people who are more physically fit, more educated and more interested in remaining active for a long time."

Got it. Seniors want more than warm winters, bridge games and golf courses.

Ohio Department of Aging statistics back that thought, said spokeswoman Traci Bell-Thomas.

"We're seeing an increased number of them coming back to their original homes," she said. "As they're getting older, they might not have family members in Florida or the Carolinas."

When Kendal built its first development outside Philadelphia in 1971, only 10 or so college-linked retirement communities dotted the country, said Bill Silbert, spokesman for The Kendal Corp. Now, he estimates 50 to 60.

The company's portfolio also includes communities near Dartmouth, Cornell, Washington and Lee and Denison universities. And the first wave of baby boomers is considering moving in, Silbert said.

Kendal at Oberlin draws residents from throughout the country, though 37 percent of residents are Oberlin alumni or former faculty and staff.

"A lot of people are looking; people even who went to school here 30, 40 years ago are looking to move here and retire," said James Rivers, a Realtor for Oberlin's Sperry-Gorske Agency, Inc.

Not to say Oberlin will ever transform into an entirely silver-haired city. On a recent summer afternoon, a decidedly younger set sprawled in the shade on Tappan Square and sipped lattes while studying for the MCAT.

Sidewalk signs warned against skateboarding. Of course, that could be aimed at retirees.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ljohnsto@plaind.com, 216-999-4115
© 2007 The Plain Dealer - Reprinted with permission

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