The new Leland House: Transforming a former "rest home" into a modern, vibrant, active community
Bringing 2Life’s innovative model of aging in community to more people is what drives us every day. There is no better example of our mission in action than 2Life’s new Leland House development in Waltham, Mass.
Born of a creative, interdenominational collaboration, the new Leland House will replace a 140-year-old, 38-bed rest home with a state-of-the-art, three-story building offering 68 affordable apartments and beautiful landscaping with a large front patio and outdoor seating. The project will be built to 2Life’s high standards for accessibility, adaptability and sustainability, and the resulting building will enhance the benefits of aging in community in Waltham.
Built in 1879, the former Leland Home served generations of seniors as a traditional rest home, where residents lived communally with shared bathroom and dining facilities — and a lot of stairs. But 2Life is reimagining the community for a new generation of older adults.
“The traditional rest home model no longer serves the needs of many older adults who want to live in a vibrant place while receiving the kinds of services that 2Life offers so they can age in community,” says Zoe Weinrobe, 2Life’s director of real estate. Changing consumer preferences and the financial challenges of operating a rest home ultimately led to the closure of the Leland Home in 2020, despite heroic efforts by the Leland board of managers and Deaconess Abundant Life Communities, the Methodist organization that owned the property.
In 2Life’s new Leland House, all 68 apartments will feature full kitchens and bathrooms, as well as universal design elements to adapt to residents’ changing physical abilities as they age. A vibrant Village Center on the ground floor will provide flexible spaces for fitness and wellness activities, arts and cultural programs, communal dining opportunities, and community events. “The Village Center common areas are a key element, encouraging people to come out of their apartments and live the life of connection and purpose that 2Life is all about,” says Weinrobe.
Given that sustainability is a core value for 2Life Communities, the new Leland House is designed to Passive House standards — maximizing energy efficiency and indoor air quality, and minimizing its carbon footprint.
One of the most exciting aspects of the project is the site itself, which is ideally positioned for aging in community. Located adjacent to the Waltham Senior Center, Leland House is just steps away from the thriving commercial corridor along Main Street, where public transit is easily accessible.
Throughout the planning and design process, 2Life was guided by a mission shared with the Leland Home board and Deaconess Abundant Life Communities: to provide affordable senior housing that supports connection and purpose and infuses each day with a sense of stability and joy. Indeed, members of the Leland board remain engaged with 2Life as we build upon the foundation of compassion established more than a century ago.
“My mom was left a widow when she was in her late 80s and needed more care than I could provide working full time. I was grateful to find the Leland Home, where she had her own room and activities that she loved. It is always hard to release the caretaking of your mom to strangers, but there was never a day I went to see her that she wasn’t sitting in the ‘get-together’ room, smiling as I watched her. She was happy, well fed, and physically well taken care of,” explains Marcia McCleary, a Leland House board member. “The Leland Home answered my prayers then, and now 2Life is the perfect organization to carry on the loving kindness that my mom and many others have enjoyed over Leland’s 140-year history.”
As we look forward to breaking ground, we’re excited to bring the 2Life experience to the Waltham community, expanding opportunities for aging in community and demonstrating how this model can be replicated in communities across the nation.
