Lathrop Retirement Community To Add 17 New Townhouses On Campus

EASTHAMPTON — The Lathrop Retirement Community is expanding by building 17 new townhomes on its 175-acre campus on Florence Road, Easthampton, on the Northampton line.

The project adds housing to the campus’s existing 44 townhomes and 59 inn apartments. Lathrop’s Northampton Community has 79 townhomes on a 35-acre campus off Bridge Road. There are currently 220 residents in both communities.

Elisabeth Weissbach, Lathrop’s executive director, said the primary motivation for the expansion is the increasing demand for the Lathrop Community, as evidenced by the consistently high occupancy levels and the quick re-sales (by Lathrop staff) when a unit becomes available.

“This interest in Lathrop is the result of multiple factors: Lathrop’s growing reputation in the area through outreach activities, sponsorships of cultural and other events, attractive housing amidst natural settings, the sense of community, a comfortable, and secure lifestyle with numerous activities choices on or off campus,” she said.

The new homes will be built in Lathrop’s familiar clusters, but will have more space and amenities. The plan includes 10 homes with walk-out basements and screened decks with mountain views that will be built on an extension of Huckleberry Lane, and seven more, built on slabs in the ‘South Meadow,’ which has not been developed before.

Easthampton Savings Bank is financing the $4.6 million project, which was designed by Carlson & Schmitt of Agawam, Lathrop’s longtime architects.

The general contractor is Cheshire Builders of West Swanzey, N.H. Bill Canon, landscape architect, and Mark Reed from Heritage Surveys are responsible for site design. Jack Cooper, Lathrop’s Director of Facilities, will be the owner’s representative for the project.

The Lathrop Community was designated a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) earlier this year, and is now offering a support services program that will allow Lathrop residents to receive home care in their homes or apartments on an as-needed basis.

Six of the 17 units are still available with opportunities to make pre-construction choices of some features and options.