Benchmark Becomes Part Owner, Operational Manager of Meadow Ridge

Leading Senior Living Provider Now Operates The Two Largest Retirement Communities in Fairfield County, Connecticut

Meadow Ridge Continuing Care Retirement Community in Redding, CT

Benchmark Senior Living (www.BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com), a leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast, today announced it has become part owner and the operator of Meadow Ridge, an award-winning continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Redding, Conn. Affiliates of Senior Care Development, LLC (www.SeniorCareDevelopment.com), the community’s original developers, will retain majority ownership.

Set on 136 acres, Meadow Ridge is Connecticut’s largest retirement community offering independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation on one campus. It opened in 2001 and features 415 apartment homes and employs more than 300 associates.

Benchmark owns and operates 63 independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities throughout the Northeast, including two new communities in Fairfield County: Sturges Ridge of Fairfield and Benchmark Senior Living at Split Rock in Shelton. Benchmark also operates Edgehill, the second largest continuing care retirement community in Connecticut, located in Stamford.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to bring our strong Benchmark values and high standards to the residents and associates of Meadow Ridge,” said Tom Grape, Benchmark’s founder, chairman and CEO. “Over the last decade, we’ve worked to ensure that sister community Edgehill remains one of the state’s finest communities and that residents have the best experiences. We’ve continued to stay ahead of our residents’ changing needs and have remained focused on our purpose to transform lives through human connection with our culture of caring.”

Both Meadow Ridge and Edgehill are exclusive U.S. News & World Report Best Nursing Home award winners. Meadow Ridge is also the recipient of the Caring Stars of 2020 award as voted on by residents, their family members and others in Fairfield County.

Chris Barstein, CDAL, a longtime Benchmark executive director, has been overseeing Meadow Ridge’s operations since December after serving seven years as the director of Edgehill. His career spans over 40 years in the hospitality industry, including at the Water’s Edge Resort, the historic Goodwin Hotel, Omni and Sheraton hotels.

“We’ve continually been impressed by the operational excellence that Benchmark and its leadership team has achieved over the past 24 years and are excited about this next chapter for Meadow Ridge,” said David Reis, chief executive officer of Senior Care Development (SCD). For 33 years, SCD has developed and invested in CCRC’s and skilled nursing facilities throughout the U.S., including The Clare in Chicago, America’s most extraordinary 52-story high-rise senior community. “We are pleased to partner with Benchmark in this endeavor and others so that we can continue to bring the best care and experiences to our residents.”

The Meadow Ridge campus currently consists of 285 independent living apartments, 20 assisted living apartments and 62 skilled nursing units. The community’s many indoor amenities include multiple dining venues, artist studios, a billiards room, a pool and sauna, a salon and a fitness center. Outdoors, there are tennis courts, a croquet court, hiking trails, a fishing pond and gardening areas. Three-quarters of the property has been preserved for open space.

As part of Meadow Ridge’s revitalization, starting in 2022, the community will be able to serve up to 28 residents with memory impairment in Benchmark’s Mind & Memory Care program. Looking to fulfill the growing demand for assisted living, the community will also be offering 20 additional assisted living apartments.

About Benchmark 
Based in Waltham, Mass., Benchmark Senior Living is a leading provider of senior housing in the Northeast. It has 63 communities across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, and Maine. Benchmark employs nearly 6,000 associates within its communities and corporate office. Founded in 1997 by Tom Grape, Benchmark offers independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities that are guided by Benchmark’s core values — Called to Care, Better Together, and Be the Benchmark, and are committed to transforming lives through human connection.

Press Contact: Carol Arnold, Arnold Communications, carol@arnoldcomm.com, (603) 502-0469.


Meadow Ridge