One Man's Vision
In the mid-1980’s senior living communities for active adults were just beginning to gain awareness among healthcare providers in the New England area. However, Donald Flanagan was already well acquainted with these communities, which represented to him the next great step forward in meeting the needs of an increasing senior population.
At the time Donald had already formed a partnership with Frank O’Connor, Henry Camosse and Raymond Lauring, and in 1969 they opened the Shrewsbury Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. This skilled nursing facility was constructed on 30 pastoral acres of former farmland the partners had recently purchased in the historic town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.
In 1972 the partners expanded the healthcare network with the opening of the Shrewsbury Medical Center, also located on the Shrewsbury campus. The Center was the first of two such facilities on the campus that today provide office space for physicians with private practices and a wide range of specializations.
A Vision Realized
Meeting the Needs of Independent Seniors
While these milestones represented significant progress in meeting the needs of many of the local senior population, the needs of independent seniors, 62 and older, who wanted to continue their active lifestyle without the burden of maintaining a house and yard, were still largely unmet. Donald recognized these needs early on, and by 1985 his vision of adding a state-of-the-art senior living community to his healthcare network was close to being realized.
Years of Research and Planning
After researching the very best attributes of existing senior living communities in other parts of the country, and combining these with the special requirements posed by the four-season climate of New England, Donald moved forward with the project. Once again joining him were his three business partners from earlier ventures. They retained the services of the architectural firm Irwin A. Regent & Associates, and in 1987 ground was broken for the sprawling new complex on the Shrewsbury campus.
Only the Best of the Best
On October 14, 1989, Southgate at Shrewsbury, with 233 apartments and 75,000 square feet of common areas, held its grand opening, thus fulfilling the vision of its founders. Donald summarized the senior living community in his opening remarks on that special day: “There is much more here to fulfill an individual’s lifestyle, because we set out to build a community that is not institutional, but one that you’d really enjoy living and participating in.”
20 Years Young and Still Meeting the Needs of Active Seniors
Today Southgate at Shrewsbury is in its 20th year of operation. To stay true to Donald Flanagan’s vision and maintain the high quality lifestyle Southgate residents have come to expect, today’s board of directors consists of one of the children of each of the original partners. Donald’s sons, Stephen, CEO and Daniel, CFO, have followed in their father’s footsteps and continue the day-to-day management of the community.
Southgate at Shrewsbury – dedicated to providing active seniors with the unique opportunity to enjoy retirement living as it should be – on their own terms.
Donald Flanagan’s vision remains true to this day
“Here at Southgate, individuals can enhance their lives with the security and companionship that is so important to a person’s lifestyle.” -Donald Flanagan
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508-842-8331
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800-492-8331
