November 30, 2001 was a Friday. Although it would be another seven weeks before it would admit its first resident, this was the day that The WaterLeaf at Land Park officially came into existence. At that time, there had been no business operating out of the location for almost two years as the building sat unoccupied.
Based on their years of prior experience in the assisted living industry, new owners Paul Cimino and Mike Williamson, with help from Paul’s wife Sally, saw an opportunity to take the existing property and turn it into something special. They identified a significant number of changes that could be made that would help the facility serve the community much more effectively.
First came a whirlwind of seven weeks of physical renovations, inside and out, followed by putting staffing and other care systems into place. Then came the challenge of reaching out to other assisted living and medical professionals, as well as the local community, to establish an awareness of the new things going on at The WaterLeaf. The efforts were successful. And as the reputation for quality and integrity grew, the facility went from empty to capacity (53 residents) in a period of just nine months.
From 2001 until late 2009, the physical renovations have continued through several phases until, currently, it is nearly impossible to recognize any portion of the property from its early days. Paul and Mike both agree that the years spent developing The WaterLeaf, as well as serving the needs of the elderly in the community, has been the most fun and rewarding experience of their lives.