Melrose Village is a Retirement Community in Northeast Ohio
Melrose Village in northeast Ohio was purchased by UMH Properties in 2013, and since that time occupancy has improved to more than 90 percent in the 293-site manufactured home community.
“We have taken out over 50 older homes, brought in new homes, repaved the roads, upgraded the street and entrance signs and renovated the clubhouse,” said Abby Goldberg, director of marketing for UMH.
Melrose Village also has received new playground equipment, a bus shelter for the school children in the community and a decorative fountain in the community’s lake.
Each month, on-site manager Jeremy Mitchell scans the community to award “Yard of the Month”, which is intentionally left a open to a little interpretation: Some months the honor will be bestowed on the owner of the most–improved yard, during a holiday it could be given to the resident who’s provided the most festive decorations and in spring the award could be based entirely on a high–quality floral arrangement.
“The best part of managing Melrose Village, is listening to the residents’ feedback,” Regional Manager Angela Smith said. “The residents who lived here before we bought the community have seen a tremendous transformation. They are so happy that UMH is here making improvements. Residents love how they can see the brand new fountain on the lake, and the views are spectacular.”
Melrose Village Community Quick Facts
Melrose Village
4400 Melrose Drive
Wooster, Ohio
All ages community
293 Homesites
Built in 1970
Home Prices: $50,000-90,000
Monthly Lot Rent: $337
Last August, Melrose Village hosted former Cleveland Browns Running Back Kevin Mack, who signed autographs and talked with the residents. More than 400 people showed up, including some from the wider community who heard about the event on a local radio station.
“All of those things make a huge difference in creating a positive experience for everyone here,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve also had Santa Claus come to our clubhouse, and kids came in from some of our other communities too. We had cookies and surprises for everyone. We had a coloring contest, which was great. And by the way, everyone won a prize. I’m pretty sure we would have had a revolt of some kind otherwise,” he said.
In addition to celebrations in the community clubhouse, including a Halloween costume party, Melrose Village recently conducted a food drive, gathering non-perishable items for delivery to a local food bank.
“It’s amazing what you can do when you have that many neighbors willing to contribute,” Mitchell said. “I wore myself out carrying food into Salvation Army.”
