The History of Emerald Heights
May 22, 2023In 1979, Whitney Corwin, a local Bellevue resident, gathered a task force of 35 members—most of whom were part of Bellevue Presbyterian Church—to create a top-tier Life Plan Retirement Community on the Eastside. While the task force was excited about the vision, it quickly became clear that securing the necessary financial resources would be a significant challenge.
Taking matters into his own hands, Corwin established the Eastside Retirement Association (ERA) with a board of eight members, including his friend and Bellevue Presbyterian Church member, Harry Wilson, who later became the Board President, and Jim Gay, a lawyer who helped draft the articles of incorporation. Together, they embarked on the search for land on the Eastside.
The financial hurdles grew more difficult amid the 1980s Savings and Loan Crisis, which slowed down the financial industry. Unable to secure funding from U.S. banks, Corwin and ERA turned to other financing, successfully obtaining a loan of $58.3 million from a consortium of banks in France, Scotland, and The Netherlands.
The final challenge came when the Washington State Housing Finance Commission was asked to approve the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. Although the commission typically funded low-income housing projects, it had never financed a nonprofit retirement community like Emerald Heights. To gain approval, the ERA needed sponsorship from a community organization. First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue agreed to sponsor the project without assuming financial responsibility but requested that half of the board members be affiliated with the church.
By 1987, the ERA had secured the land behind Redmond High School. The name Emerald Heights was proposed by Zada Corwin, Whitney’s wife, who drew inspiration from Seattle’s nickname, the “Emerald City,” and the community’s location on a hill.
When Emerald Heights opened its doors in 1992, several founding board members were among the first residents. Though Mr. Corwin sadly passed away in December 1988, his legacy endures. Emerald Heights has served his generation well and continues to evolve, addressing the needs of the next generation of aging adults.
Guided by Christian principles, the mission of the Association is to be a leader in the development and operation of nonprofit, new generation retirement communities and services. The ERA Association currently operates Emerald Heights, a life plan retirement community in Redmond, Washington.
The governance of the Association is vested in its board of directors. The board of directors is elected by Emerald Communities (EC) and currently consists of eleven directors.
Today, Emerald Heights stands as a beacon of stability and innovation. Following a successful expansion in 2024, we proudly serve over 500 residents and operate alongside our sister community, Heron’s Key, which opened in Gig Harbor in 2017.
