La Posada, the premier senior living community in Palm Beach Gardens, recently celebrated its 13th anniversary. There was a cocktail hour and a special chef-prepared dinner for residents to enjoy. A live string quartet provided entertainment during the evening as well. Twenty of the original residents who moved into La Posada during its opening year took part in the celebrations. One of those 20 residents is 91-year-old Dr. Harry Gray, who moved into a villa in November 2004 with his wife. Dr. Gray and his wife were excited about the opening of La Posada way before the community welcomed its first resident. After originally retiring on the West Coast, they decided to spend the rest of their retirement on the East Coast, so they moved to Jupiter, Fla. and lived there for about 12 years. The couple had traveled to Florida every year, and made the permanent move to be close to family. When they learned of La Posada, they chose Palm Beach Gardens as their next destination. They attended the groundbreaking, five to six events leading up to the opening and the official grand opening.

“The community continues to grow and make positive changes each year,” said Dr. Gray. “They do an exceptional job of offering a variety of activities and events to engage in, my favorites being bridge and poker. I actively play bridge at least five times a week and also look forward to live entertainment brought in by the community. I am excited to use the newly renovated commons spaces as well as new amenities that are part of the $35 million expansion and renovation project.”

Since its opening, the community has experienced exceptional feedback and growth, facilitating the current expansion and renovations. The expansion includes the addition of Mallorca at La Posada, a new four-story building which will feature 54 sophisticated apartment homes designed for seniors to comfortably age in place, whether they live independently or need some assistance. Amenities in Mallorca will include a restaurant, pub, salon and spa, fitness space and various indoor and outdoor areas to socialize. Many of the Mallorca residences will have views of the lake. In addition to creating Mallorca, Kisco is renovating the existing La Posada clubhouse to give residents new areas to experience. This project includes the addition of a new freestanding 3,400-square-foot state-of-the-art wellness center with locker rooms and a workout space with expansive glass walls, allowing residents to enjoy views of the lake and the nearby pool while they exercise. The wellness center recently opened. A new bar and lounge area will feature a space for Wii bowling competitions, large-screen TVs for parties and casual drinks or coffee. A display kitchen will be the centerpiece of a new dining venue to enjoy culinary entertainment. An expanded walking path will loop around the entire campus, encouraging wellness and connecting residents throughout the La Posada community.

“It is anticipated that construction of Mallorca will be complete in early 2018,” said Brad Cadiere, executive director of La Posada. “Currently, the new building is being ‘topped out,’ meaning the roof is on, the units are being dry walled and mechanical, electrical and plumbing is being installed. Up next, Mallorca will have flooring and furnishings installed. In regards to the renovations, phase one is now complete, which included the new wellness center, redesign of the main living room and addition of a discovery room. Phase two will start this September and entails renovating the clubhouse and the addition of a new bar and lounge to serve as a place for having morning coffee and reading the paper or meeting for pre-dinner drinks. A second dining venue will be added during phase three, which will begin after Mallorca opens. The new trend is to have multiple and differentiated dining rooms, so the second dining venue will have a full display cooking kitchen for entertainment purposes, allowing residents to see the food being prepared, smell the aromas wafting in the air and see the steam coming from the food.”