By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

An Erickson retirement community will be coming to the land of barbeque, evergreen pines, and southern hospitality.

Erickson recently received zoning approval from the town of Matthews, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte, and will be going ahead with plans to open a full-service retirement community there. This will be Erickson’s 21st community in the U.S and its first in the state of North Carolina.

“We couldn’t be happier to be coming to Matthews,” says Dan Rexford, executive vice president of Erickson. “We are thrilled with the opportunity and will do our best to provide unmatched amenities and value to the people there. We are committed to being a great neighbor in every way, shape, and form.”

On demand
The Matthews team spent months in development and began looking for a site following local demand. Erickson had received over a thousand requests for an Erickson community from local residents.

George Schwab of Charlotte N.C. says, “I think Erickson is a welcome addition to the Matthews area. My parents have the good fortune to live in Erickson’s Oak Crest [community in Baltimore] and they absolutely love it.”

Matthews resident William E. Clements even felt strongly enough about the need for retirement options in his hometown that he voiced his support of Erickson to the Mathews town’s planning department. He said the community will be the ultimate in smart growth and a boon for economic development.

“Could there be a better use of this land than a [place] that will be a fixture in the Matthews community?” he asks. “I only hope that officials in the town of Matthews fully understand that this is the greatest use for this property they could hope to see.”

Location, location, location
The site itself should be a picturesque one. Erickson plans on building around the Mathews property’s great natural physical features.