LeisureWorld Plaza Owners Seed Housing Assistance Fund

Silver Spring, Md. – Rossmoor-IDI Commercial Center Associates, which developed and owns the Leisureworld Plaza shopping center on Georgia Avenue, has donated $10,000 to a fund for residents displaced by a three-alarm fire, according to Enrico Cecchi, managing director of The IDI Group Companies, a partner in the center. The fire displaced 50 residents and killed one at the adjacent Leisure World of Maryland community on November 28.

“In addition to providing much needed funds, we hope this draws attention to the fact that there is a fund - and a way for people to help their neighbors who are going through this,” said Norman Dreyfuss, the IDI executive vice president who managed the firm’s Leisure World of Maryland and Leisure World of Virginia developments. Dreyfuss and Heidi Cortese, chief executive officer of Rossmoor Construction Company (RCC), are the other two Leisureworld Plaza partners.

Displaced residents were originally moved to a local hotel with assistance from the Red Cross and Montgomery County. Additional assistance is now needed, and Leisure World’s Inter-Faith Chapel is coordinating a fund to provide for additional temporary housing. Anyone wishing to contribute can make a donations can be made to The Inter-Faith Chapel in the form of check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to “The Inter-Faith Chapel,” with “Fire Assistance Fund” in the memo line and mailed to 3680 S. Leisure World Blvd., Silver Spring, MD 20906. Credit card payments can be made at www.inter-faithchapel.org by clicking the “Fire Assistance Fund” tab.

Additional Background

In 1981, The IDI Group Companies of Arlington, Va. and RCC began a partnership to complete Leisure World of Maryland, the 8500-resident community off Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring. The partnership built more than 3000 condominium homes in 17 buildings there over the years, as well as a second community clubhouse and recreation center and a variety of amenities. They also developed Leisureworld Plaza, the 146,500-square-foot shopping center anchored by Giant at the entrance to Leisure World.