Aegis Living, an assisted living and memory care specialist, is developing Aegis Gardens as the first senior living property in the Pacific Northwest for Chinese-Americans. The vision for the development extends well beyond building a retirement facility, Aegis Living CEO Dwayne Clark says. "Aegis Gardens will serve as the Northwest epicenter for preserving and celebrating Chinese culture.” Care will be provided by staff fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Snapped at the recent groundbreaking for Aegis Gardens: a dancing dragon.

Located on a waterfront site in Newcastle, with access to Lake Boren, the 110-unit property is slated to open in 2017, with 10% of its apartments already reserved. When completed, Aegis Gardens’ activity center will play host to civic activities, cultural exhibitions and more, and it will also provide daycare services to promote multigenerational engagement. The site has historic relevance as well. In the late 1800s, immigrants from China mined coal there, contributing to Seattle’s rise to prominence; local names such as China Creek and China Creek Golf Course are reminders of their contributions.