Broadmead CEO John Howl
By Rob Love, President, CEO
What are the greatest challenges Broadmead faces as you plan for the future?
While Broadmead has had a great reputation in the Baltimore market for many years, we realized that many facets of our physical plant and amenities had fallen behind the times. In particular, our healthcare was too institutional, and our fitness and wellness programs were significantly limited.
How are you addressing these challenges?
For about the last nine months, we’ve had a task force working extensively on a new master plan. The task force consisted of management, board members, residents, Love & Company, RLPS Architects, Witz & Company and Wohlson Construction. The good news is that, last week, the board approved moving forward with Phase I of the master plan.
What will be included in the first phase of the master plan?
Many things! We will convert our healthcare center into four neighborhoods, including one dedicated to dementia care, and one for short-term rehab. We will expand our assisted living. We will greatly expand our fitness and wellness spaces, including adding a new, cold water pool for lap swimming. We will expand and upgrade our dining program, and we will have a significantly enhanced and expanded auditorium. We will also be adding 40 new independent living residences to help pay for the renovations and additions.
What excites you the most about your master plan?
We will be creating two Centers of Excellence, one in dementia care, and one in health and wellness. These Centers of Excellence will combine current best practices in each area with forward-thinking approaches and evidence-based research to create programs unlike anything seen in our market to date.
We are also excited about the sustainability initiatives we will be undertaking as part of the master plan, including consideration of building materials, energy efficiency, environmental impact, and water usage, among other sustainability considerations.
How has Love & Company’s participation helped Broadmead with this effort?
Love & Company provided a clear and detailed picture of our competitive position in the market, including what we needed to change about our residences, pricing, amenities and healthcare to remain competitive. They educated our leadership team and board on the need to re-invent the community, and they’ve been an important member of our master planning team. Overall, they’ve played a vital role in positioning Broadmead to continue to be a market leader in the years ahead.
