Silver Birch of Mansfield Grand Opening

Affordable assisted living opportunities expand for Ohio seniors

WJW is thrilled to announce the grand opening of Silver Birch of Mansfield, an affordable assisted living (AAL) residence in Mansfield, Ohio. This building marks a major milestone for WJW as our first completed project in Ohio and the first project to be completed under the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's (OHFA) new Affordable Assisted Living program, rolled out in late 2024.

With almost 40 residents now moved in, and more on the way, the building features 120 private studio and one bedroom units for seniors. Amenities include an administrative suite, wellness suite, dining room & commercial kitchen that serves 3 healthy, comforting meals per day, lounges, a community space, an activity kitchen, on-site laundry, a hair salon, & and a library to ensure residents have robust, enriched social lives outside of their units. Landscaped exterior features such as a walking path, gazebo, covered front porch, and patio entice residents to spend time outdoors. Sustainability was key to the design, and the project is on track to receive LEED Silver Certification any day now.

Michelle, Liezel, and Clayton recently traveled to Mansfield for the grand opening ceremony, which was covered by the local news site Richland Source. The heartwarming event featured new resident Shirley Zimmerman cutting the ribbon to mark the official opening of the building. Welcoming remarks were offered by Dave Cocagne, CEO of Vermilion Development; Ursel J. McElroy, Director of the Ohio Department of Aging; Bill Beagle, Executive Director of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency; Ohio State Senator Mark Romanchuk; and Mayor of Mansfield, Jodie Perry.

WJW is so pleased to see this project to completion, as it provides vital housing services for seniors who want to maintain independence while also receiving crucial support for day-to-day living. Several other Silver Birch AAL projects are currently in construction across Ohio; stay tuned for more announcements!

For more about the design process for the Silver Birch developments, see our post about Michelle's presentation at the 2026 Environments for Aging conference.

Thank you to our project partners, Vermilion Development, Silver Birch Living, ARCO/Murray, CAGE Civil Engineering, Laflin Design Group, Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers (structural), and HNA Engineering (MEP), DM Hope (commercial kitchen design), and Strong Design Group (Interiors & FFE).