From the gathered officials cutting a ceremonial ribbon outside Shelby Manor to prospective renters and current residents enjoying lunch together, the Aug. 28 grand re-opening of the B Building, which was damaged in a fire last year, was a celebration of all things Shelby Township.
“We had great people enjoying the outdoors with lunch and friendly conversation – just everyone having a good time,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said. “To me, it really represented why Shelby Township is such a great place to live. We have wonderful spaces and even better people.”
The celebration, which was paid for by the Township’s insurance company and private donations, highlighted completion of more than $2.2 million in renovations after the fire damaged several units in November 2012.
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“Even though our firefighters and police officers did an excellent job ensuring everyone was safely removed from the building, there was extensive damage,” Fire Chief Jim Swinkowski said. “There was a lot of fire damage, and there was also a lot of smoke and water damage.”
Along with celebrating the end of construction, the Township was looking to fill the vacancies that remained after some displaced residents did not return. Within an hour of the ribbon cutting, the complex was at maximum occupancy and by the end of the day there was a waiting list for future vacancies.
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“This is an amazing community that really sells itself, but I’m glad we had this event to get people here to see that firsthand,” Stathakis said. “Deputy Supervisor Brad Bates did an outstanding job coordinating this event and made sure everyone really got a taste of what living at Shelby Manor is all about.”
“With this great location near Schoenherr and Hall roads, I cannot think of a better place for seniors to call home,” Stathakis added. “But the real luxury of Shelby Manor is the people that call it home. You will be hard pressed to find a neighborhood that is more close-knit or has more smiling faces than Shelby Manor.”
The restoration and rebuild following the fire was handled by Belfor, and the only cost to the Township was a $10,000 insurance deductible.
“Because of sound business decisions by the conservative majority of our Board of Trustees, we have insurance coverage across the Township that ensures, when disasters like this occur, the cost to taxpayers is minimal,” Stathakis said.
“And in this case, because we were able to enlist the services of a great corporate citizen such as Belfor, those costs were actually zero since Belfor reinvested that $10,000 deductible back into Shelby Township with a donation to our Chief Gene Shepherd Park."
