22 Jun 2017

James Kirkland Retained as General Counsel for Liberty, MO Development


James Kirkland is serving as general counsel for Norterre, a community development project focused on the integration of multigenerations, specifically regarding the elderly and those in assisted-living and retirement homes. The first of its kind, Norterre is centered on the concept of healthy living and what that means for people at every stage of life. Whether that is children at play outside, an aspiring athlete training for a marathon, or rehabilitation post-surgery for a senior citizen, Norterre is designed to accommodate these various needs and address them in one community.

At the center of this vision is the 65,000-square-foot Aurora Health and Wellness Center, which opened on June 19, 2017. Spanning three full floors, the Aurora is the space where young adults, parents, and grandparents can come together for fitness, yoga and spin classes, personalized training, nutritional and cooking demonstrations for healthy choices, bariatric consultations, and other medically prescribed rehabilitation and physical therapies. Any adult can join as a member, doctors can also prescribe physical therapy or wellness programs, and companies will eventually team up with Norterre to create medically integrated wellness initiatives.

The long-term plan for the community will see it expand out from the wellness center with housing. Phase one of the project will be completed in November 2017 and includes assisted-living and skilled-nursing units for seniors and people with disabilities, as well as short-term rehabilitation suites for people recovering from illness or injury.  And while a strong emphasis of Norterre is the integration of retirement communities into neighborhoods with people of all ages, it hopes to quickly offer housing options for individuals and families of other ages. The second phase of construction will include independent living apartments for those younger groups.

In the role of general counsel for this development, James is responsible for all legal issues in connection with the development, leasing, construction, and contracting of Norterre as it continues to expand. For more information on Noterre, please visit http://norterre.org/.