DEL WEBB LAUNCHES SMALL ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITIES IN VIRGINIA, ARIZONA
Del Webb Corporation, a leading builder of lifestyle communities, has launched a new series of small active adult communities in Virginia and Arizona. The company said additional small active adult communities are being planned for Las Vegas and Northern California. More sites are being actively considered across the country.
After merging with Pulte in 2001, Del Webb gained a presence in more than 44 additional markets across the country. Webb plans to take advantage of this expanded base by introducing smaller communities than ones traditionally associated with the company, according to Anne Mariucci, Del Webb president.
Falls Run, Del Webb's first Mid-Atlantic development, is a gated community on 185 acres 50 miles south of Washington, D.C. It will feature 576 single-family homes, priced from the $130,000s to the $250,000s. Models are scheduled to open in summer 2002.
Solera, originally developed as an active adult community by Pulte Homes, is a 606 acre gated development. It is Del Webb's first active adult venture in the East Valley of metro Phoenix. Nine models for the 1,159 homes are priced from $124,900 to $217,900.
For more information go to http://ir.thomsonfn.com/InvestorRelations/.
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NEW JERSEY MONASTERY CONVERTED TO VARIOUS TYPES OF UNITS FOR SENIORS
A monastery, built in Bordentown City, New Jersey in 1885 for the Sisters of Mercy, has gained new life as a residence for seniors. "We think we have preserved the character of the monastery while restoring it to fit the needs of the elderly," said Christiana Foglio, president of Community Investment Strategies, Inc., a New Brunswick, New Jersey company. The company renovated the 10-acre property, which had been closed since 1998.
The $18 million project, Clare Estate, provides three types of residences: independent living in apartments at the edge of the property, rental units in the monastery for individuals who need minimal assistance, and a 50-unit assisted-living wing in an addition to the monastery, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Hospicomm Inc., a Philadelphia company that will manage Clare Estate, estimates all 137 units will be filled within 18 months, said Lori Rathgeber, the facility's administrator. Although 36 apartments designed for independent living have been occupied since September, the official opening took place in January. Monthly rents, which include meals, laundry service and other amenities, range from $600 to $700 for the independent-living apartments, $1,700 to $2,200 for units in the monastery, and $2,600 to $4,300 for the assisted-living wing.
For more information go to http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/archives. Insert "Sanctuary for Nuns Shelters Seniors" in the search box.
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FLORIDA RETIREMENT CONDOMINIUMS TO OFFER KOSHER MEALS, STAFF RABBI, SYNAGOGUE
Howard Bloom and his partners in King Solomon Development LLC in Delray Beach, Florida are testing the market with a retirement condominium, offering a lifestyle focused on Jewish tradition, the Miami Herald reported. The King Solomon in Delray Beach kicked off sales in January for one- and two-bedroom condominiums, with prices ranging from $130,000 to $200,000. In the first few weeks, 10 of the 161 units have been reserved.
The King Solomon will offer three gourmet kosher meals a day, a staff rabbi, an on-site synagogue, daily religious activities and a Shabbat elevator, which automatically stops on every floor during the Sabbath, according to Bloom. He said there will be traditional Friday night dinners, Passover seders and services for the Jewish holidays. "It's not going to be Orthodox. It's going to have very traditional Jewish values. It's not a religious retreat. It's going to be a fun place to live," he told Elaine Walker of the Miami Herald staff.
The company's long-term plans call for opening similar facilities in other Jewish communities around Florida and across the country. "It's an interesting niche they're hitting, but the jury is out on whether they can be successful," said Michael Cannon, managing director of Integra Realty Resources--AREEA/South Florida, a real estate analysis and consulting firm.
For more information go to http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2627331.htm.
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FORMER BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA SILK MILL SET TO BECOME APARTMENTS FOR SENIORS
Valley Housing Development Corporation is planning to convert a former Bethlehem silk mill into senior citizen apartments, the Morning Call reported. After converting 8,700 square feet of the 99,000 square-foot mill into office space, the remainder of the building will be converted into 745 one-bedroom, senior citizen apartments, according to John Seitz, executive director of Valley Housing. He said the apartments would be rented to people 55 and older.
Valley Housing has a letter of agreement to develop 30,000 square feet of land that the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority owns next to the former silk mill. That land would be used for a 102-space parking lot for the building. Two interior courtyards in the center of the mill would be converted into interior recreation areas, Seitz indicated.
For more information go to http://www.mcall.com, click on archives and insert "Silk mill revamp" into search function.
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FLORIDA GROUP CONSIDERS CONVERTING HIGH RISE INTO APARTMENTS FOR OLDER GAYS AND LESBIANS
After abandoning plans to construct a retirement center near downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, development executive John De Leo decided to consider converting a high-rise closer to the beach into 350 apartments and 50 assisted living units for gay and lesbian adults aged 45 and older, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Diane C. Lade, a writer for the publication, said the Arbours is a development group that has been trying to bring a gay and lesbian retirement center to Fort Lauderdale for three years.
De Leo estimates that the project will cost $100 million. However, with 1,500 people on a waiting list from the first Arbours' brochure and with an estimated 250,000 gays and lesbians in Broward County, he feels the project will be successful. The newspaper said Fort Lauderdale has been gaining a national reputation as a gay and lesbian retirement destination.
Robert Chellis, a Boston-area consultant who does feasibility studies for proposed senior communities, said gay and lesbian housing is part of a new spin on an old formula--location may sell real estate, but affiliation sells retirement housing. When retirees began flocking to Florida's sprawling condo developments in the 1970s, they often settled among friends from up North who have similar cultural or religious backgrounds.
For more information go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/.
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VIRGINIA RETIREMENT COMMUNITY TO OFFER COTTAGES, DUPLEXES, APARTMENTS
Lake Prince Center retirement community in Suffolk, Virginia, which will open July 1, 2002, will offer three levels of care, independent living, assisted living and skilled care, the Virginia Pilot reported. Situated on 172 acres, the $36.5 million facility will offer cottages, duplexes and apartments. Eventually 300 people, aged 62 and older, will call Lake Prince Center home.
Lake Prince Center residents will pay a one-time fee based on the housing they choose. Apartment fees start at $65,000, while cottage fees start at $169,900. An additional monthly fee begins at $635 and covers grounds maintenance, trash removal, use of the community center, a 24-hour emergency call system and other services. The non-profit company, in partnership with the United Churches of Christ, began marketing the facility about three years ago.
Construction of the facility was financed by revenue bonds through the Suffolk Industrial Development Authority. The complex is expected to bring the city about $300,000 annually in real estate taxes, personal property taxes and business license fees, according to Linda McNatt, a writer for the newspaper. For more information go to http://www.pilotonline.com/.
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SENIORS PARTICIPATE IN VIRTUAL TOUR OF ASSISTED-LIVING APARTMENTS
Without leaving their seats in a darkened room on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, Hilda Dailey and her tour guide, Emily Maples, visited five assisted-living apartments. They determined that the kitchen cabinets were too high and the walk-in closet needed built-in shelves.
Dailey, a 77-year-old resident of Blacksburg, is one of 60 senior citizens participating in a program at the university's College of Human Resources and Education to test a virtual system for designing assisted living apartments, The Roanoke Times reported. The program in the College is called VT-CAVE ™. That is the short name for University Visualization and Animation Group of the Advanced Communications and Information Technology Center.
Program participants sit in a three-sided room, which is fitted with projection screens. After viewing three-dimensional pictures of fully furnished apartments, the participants offer feedback on how well the proposed space would meet their needs.
To obtain a summary of the article, "A Room that's A View," go to http://www.roanoke.com and insert "College of Human Resources" in the search function. Registration and a fee are required for a copy of the complete article.
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FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE SENIOR SITE TO GET THREE PART EXPANSION, RENOVATION IN ILLINOIS
Friendship Village Senior Living Community will break ground this spring on the first phase of a three-part expansion and renovation of its 53-acre site in Schaumburg, Illinois near Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported. The senior community has living accommodations for more than 800 seniors with 485 apartments, 82 assisted-living units and a 250-bed skilled nursing center.
The project will involve the construction of seven four-unit garden home clusters, one six-story and one seven-story building, a community center and a wellness center. Cheryl Meyer, a writer for the newspaper, said when one phase is completed, residents will be moved into the new units and some of the older structure will be demolished to make room for the next phase. When completed, the number of housing units will increase by 109. For more information go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/.
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