EveryAge Celebrates Opening of BellaAge Hickory

EveryAge, based in Newton, N.C., had much to celebrate in April as its newest active older adult community, BellaAge, opened in Hickory, N.C. 

BellaAge Hickory opened for new resident move-ins April 1. It partnered with the Chamber of Catawba County April 10 to host a formal ribbon-cutting celebration and tour. 

The latest addition to EveryAge’s portfolio of older adult communities, BellaAge designed for active adults 55+ and is an apartment rental community in an urban environment. It consists of 95 one- and two-bedroom homes occupying a newly constructed, five-story building. The apartments are connected to a renovated two-story building dating to the 1940s that now houses offices, storage units, and community spaces for all residents. 

The renovated structure, known as BellaAge Commons, includes a second-story Loft featuring wooden rafters and flooring, brick walls, preserved murals, and expansive windows looking toward downtown Hickory and out to the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Loft offers dedicated spaces for resident use, including a lounge, library, private dining room, presentation and gathering area, and social kitchen for chef’s demonstrations, wine tastings, and other culinary events. Additional BellaAge amenities include a fifth-floor, open-air Terrace and indoor lounge, a dog park and dog-washing station, a fitness room, a yoga studio, private co-working spaces, and an elevated courtyard with a firepit, gas grills, and a bocce court. 

At the ribbon-cutting, Adair Bowman, BellaAge Hickory’s community director, welcomed visitors to the premier, and Chamber President Lindsay Keisler and Hickory Mayor Hank Guess made remarks. Lee Syria, EveryAge president and CEO, offered thanks to all the people and organizations that helped make the project a success, and the Rev. Brad Thie, chair of the EveryAge Board of Directors, gave a blessing for the community and all those whom it would impact over the years. 

Following the actual ribbon-cutting, guests — including CHHSM’s Engagement Coordinator the Rev. Dr. Zaria Davis — were invited for group tours of BellaAge and were encouraged to gather in the social kitchen for conversation and refreshments. The overarching sentiment from attendees was that the community is a gorgeous asset, both inside and out, a welcome addition to Hickory’s housing market — especially for older adults, and that BellaAge will undoubtedly boost the character and livability of downtown Hickory. 

“Our desire to magnify EveryAge’s portfolio was a response to the trends we were seeing from seniors. Many of them voiced a strong interest in having home and lifestyle coincide earlier than we’ve typically experienced,” said Syria. “We saw an unmet need for upscale rentals, given that some people aren’t ready to settle permanently into a CCRC or do not like the buy-in commitment of an entry fee model. Our continuing goal is to offer a diverse spectrum of vibrant living options for older adults, and BellaAge offers just that, through EveryAge.”

The thoughtful creation of BellaAge not only opens up the possibilities of senior living, but also taps into community needs. Expansion through the BellaAge model has come on multiple fronts: Adding rental apartments to the EveryAge portfolio, building in a city center, intentionally targeting younger seniors as residents, and focusing on the value of connection and community as a unifying theme. BellaAge honors EveryAge’s vision of enriching lives by providing the right services, at the right time, in the right setting.