Givens Highland Farms will welcome about 40 new residents to the community during the next few weeks as it completes a portion of its latest expansion project, and it is also preparing to take non-binding reservation agreements for another expansion project.

Givens Highland Farms is a continuing care retirement community, on 85 acres where residents have access to healthcare as they need it. Currently, the campus has 259 Independent Living homes and has been undergoing an expansion project to add 66 Independent Living homes in two buildings: Brookside and Vista Ridge.

Brookside will have 30 new homes, and the new residents of Brookside are expected to be fully moved in before the holiday season. Vista Ridge will add 36 new homes and are expected to be completed next year.

Brookside features new amenities for residents that include restaurant-style dining and a state-of-the-art multipurpose event space. Brookside and Vista Ridge are also located at the center of the campus, which offers residents proximity to other onsite amenities such as an extensive library, lifelong learning classrooms, and hiking trails.

Ken Kramer, the Executive Director of Givens Highland Farms, has been at the helm of this expansion project and has expressed enthusiasm.

“Our expansion with the Brookside homes provides another welcoming place for older adults to call home,” Kramer said. “It’s an environment that encourages interests, passions and fosters friendships for a vibrant and thriving lifestyle.”

The North Carolina Department of Insurance, the state agency overseeing CCRCs, recently approved Givens Highland Farms’ intent to build an additional 33 homes. While the construction process involves several stages, this approval allows Givens Highland Farms to share project details and engage in non-binding agreements with future residents. The upcoming project, Vista Ridge South, is now on the horizon, and the Sales & Marketing team is gearing up to accept non-binding agreements.

Josue Molina, the Director of Sales & Marketing for Givens Communities, emphasized the demand for communities like Givens Highland Farms.

“Many continuing care retirement communities have long waitlists and people are eager to move in,” Molina said. “We saw that with how quickly homes sold in Brookside and Vista Ridge — we are all excited that we can begin work toward Vista Ridge South, which allow us to serve more older adults in our region.”

Givens Highland Farms is situated in the Swannanoa Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, within minutes of Black Mountain. Black Mountain is renowned for its vibrant dining, arts, music, and shopping scene and has recently been named one of the “Top 20 of the 150 Best Small Towns in America” for 2023.

Givens Highland Farms joined Givens Communities, an Asheville-based nonprofit, in December 2012 when it was acquired by Givens Estates. There are now four senior living communities that comprise Givens Communities.