From Cleveland.com
By Maura Zurick
Solon Community Living’s newly completed neighborhood includes 14 private residences, six caregiver suites, and a central clubhouse designed to support independence, connection, and quality of life for adults with developmental disabilities.Solon Community Living
SOLON, Ohio — After more than a decade of planning, Solon Community Living is preparing to celebrate the completion of its innovative residential neighborhood.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday (June 7) will mark a major milestone in the nonprofit’s mission to create inclusive, sustainable housing for adults with developmental disabilities.
Fifteen residents now call the neighborhood home, along with two onsite resident assistants.
The intentionally designed community includes 14 private, barrier-free residences; six caregiver suites; and a central clubhouse aimed at fostering connection, independence and enrichment.
For Kristin and Tim LaCrosse, the milestone is personal. After a 10-year search for a supportive community for their daughter, Jackie, they say they’ve found it in Solon Community Living.
Jackie is now one of the 15 residents in the new neighborhood.
“This community is a testament to what’s possible when families, city leaders and supporters come together around a shared cause,” said Ara Bagdasarian, co-founder and president of Solon Community Living.
“We didn’t just build homes — we built a model that can be replicated to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities across the country.”
The celebration is by invitation only due to space limitations, but more than 250 guests are expected, including donors, city officials and family members.
Before the formal ribbon cutting, residents and their families will participate in a quieter pre-ceremony gathering to avoid overstimulation.
The program will include remarks from several key figures, including former Solon City Councilman Bill Russo, who was the first person Bagdasarian approached about the project in 2015; Planning Commission Chair Macke Bentley; and residents Evan Burg and Aletta Sinoff, who will share personal reflections on their new home.
The idea for Solon Community Living began more than a decade ago, driven by families seeking safe, enriching housing options for their adult children.
Bagdasarian noted that the project faced several hurdles, from rezoning the land and passing a citywide ballot measure in 2019 to navigating construction delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, the organization raised more than $4 million to bring the vision to life.
To support both independence and safety, the neighborhood has features that include backup generators, exterior security cameras, soundproofing, durable finishes and adaptive designs such as barrier-free showers and wheelchair accessibility.
The clubhouse features a sensory-friendly space and a teaching kitchen.
One of the community’s most unique components is the addition of six second-floor caregiver suites. Two are currently occupied by resident assistants, and the organization is now hiring for the remaining four.
Bagdasarian said he hopes to build a waitlist not just of future residents, but also of caregivers who want to work in the supportive, collaborative environment the organization has created.
As the community shifts its focus from construction to care, Solon Community Living is working with the city’s recreation department to expand inclusive programming.
Long-term goals include securing grant funding to document the project’s model and create a playbook for other communities.
“We built this not just for today, but for tomorrow, for when families ask, ‘What happens when we’re not here?’” Bagdasarian said.
