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Kendra Baker photos
Wilton Commons held a plaque dedication ceremony on Wednesday, June 3, to honor George Ciaccio for his work and dedication to the 21 Station Road senior housing facility.Wilton Commons was built through a partnership of local nonprofit Wilton Commons Inc., Mutual Housing Association of Western Connecticut Inc., and the National Equity Fund.
Buck Griswold, a member of the Wilton Commons Board and Wilton Commons GP Inc. board treasurer, said more than 200 Wilton citizens and businesses helped raise money to build the 51-unit senior living facility on Station Road. The total construction cost of Wilton Commons exceeded $10.3 million.
“Tying this all together and leading this from his guidance, his faith, his stick-to-itiveness, his total involvement has been George Ciaccio and his lovely wife Marilyn,” said Griswold. “They are the heart and soul of this project.”
Ciaccio is chairman of the Wilton Commons Board and president of the Wilton Commons GP Inc. Board.
The plaque is a thank-you from “the citizens of Wilton” for “George’s steadfast devotion to Wilton Commons as its chairman and with Marilyn’s support” and “his vision, organization, hands-on leadership and strong religious faith [which] made his dream complex for deserving seniors come true.”
Currently, with the exception of one soon-to-be occupied unit, Wilton Commons is fully rented and 65% of its seniors are either Wilton residents or family members of Wilton residents.
The facility currently has a waiting list of “at least 50 individuals interested in the facility,” said Griswold.
Ciaccio said the popularity of Wilton Commons is something he “never really expected.”
“When we first opened this place, we were dragging people in,” he said with a laugh.
“We really had to [work to] fill this place, but we’ve got some really wonderful people here now.”
In addition to thanking everyone who has supported Wilton Commons, George thanked his wife of 59 years for supporting and “putting up with [him] all these years.”
Second phase
Wilton Commons offers a number of amenities and services for its residents, including a hair salon, convenience store, library and kitchenette.
“The kitchen and dining room have yet to be completed, but will be completed as part of phase two, which is very close at hand,” said Griswold.
“From talking with the board today, the hope is that sometime in early summer, we would stick a shovel in the ground off the southeast corner and add 24 additional units.”
Information: wiltoncommons.org.