Courtesy photo
Taking part in the official groundbreaking were, from left, Robert Sexton, Wells Fargo Bank; Bernie Conley, owner; Jim Godfrey, owner; Mark Lamb, mayor of Bothell and Brandon Dalke, executive director, Chateau St. Laurent.

On Wednesday, August 15, Mayor Mark Lamb presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for Chateau St. Laurent, the very first refundable entry fee community to be built in a city that is known throughout the region for its many, high quality retirement communities.

The mayor observed that, “The City of Bothell is pleased to partner with respected retirement housing developers and operators like Chateau Retirement Communities in providing as many different living options for seniors as possible.”

Owner and CEO Jim Godfrey thanked Mayor Lamb for the spirit of hospitality and a welcome consistently shown by the city to its seniors and the businesses that serve them.

Godfrey went on to point out that the unique thing about a refundable entry fee, which in the case of Chateau St. Laurent is guaranteed to be refunded at 100 percent; is that it lowers monthly service fees and ensures rent costs never go up.

“The most significant benefit of our no-risk entry fee model is that it ultimately puts money back in the hands of our residents and their families,” said Godfrey.

Chateau St. Laurent is the addition of 71 luxury apartment homes to the campus of Chateau at Bothell Landing, one of the first retirement communities to be built in the neighborhood of the nationally renowned Northshore Senior Center.

Located directly across the street from the senior center, the successful Chateau at Bothell Landing has become a respected anchor in a burgeoning retirement village often referred to as Bothell’s “Senior Enclave.”

At the close of the groundbreaking ceremony, the mayor, owner, bankers, residents, Chateau employees and all those in attendance raised their glasses to toast the future residents of Chateau St. Laurent—those newest “Senior Enclave” members-to-be, excitedly waiting in the wings for the grand opening scheduled for late 2008.