Friday, November 20, 2009

DAYTON DEANERY —There was excitement in the air on Sept. 30 as residents of Twin Towers Place and community members came together to mark the building’s grand reopening.

The spires of St. Mary Church in Dayton rise behind Twin Towers Place. (CT/E.L. Hubbard)

Located in the east Dayton area, Twin Towers Place was the first senior independent living-community created by St. Mary Development Corporation. Since 1989, the faith-based, non-profit organization, founded by Dick McBride and Precious Blood Sister Rose Wildenhaus, has been responsible for creating more than 2,400 housing units. This includes building and managing seven apartment centers for low-income seniors, which provide affordable homes for more than 500 senior citizens.

Residents of Twin Towers Place are 55 or older with an income less than $26,100, or $29,820 for a couple. There are studio and one-bedroom apartments available, along with two-bedroom apartments with two baths. Among the services provided are free bus transportation, a noon meal program, exercise classes and social activities.

The entire building has been renovated, including every apartment and all common areas, said Tim Bete, communication director for St. Mary Development Corporation. “Twin Towers Place is a tax-credit building, which requires resyndication after 15 years,” he explained. “The resyndication gave us the opportunity to make many improvements to the building.”

Those renovations include new cabinetry and carpeting in each apartment, the addition of a full kitchen and the creation of a meeting space in the basement that will be used by residents along with being made available to community groups.

The re-dedication ceremony featured a talk by Rhine McLin, former Dayton mayor, building tours and burgers and hot dogs prepared in the new kitchen.

“It was a wonderful celebration for the residents, and it was neat for them to be able to share in the whole thing,” Bete said. “The building has a whole new energy now that you can feel.”

For more information, visit www.twintowersplace.org.