Seniors Housing Business is the magazine that helps you navigate the evolution of the seniors housing industry.
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48 www.seniorshousingbusiness.com Seniors Housing Business n February/March 2017 By Lynn Peisner As commercial development projects go, seniors housing is a popular use — much more widely embraced by communities than new shopping centers, offices or hotels. Seniors housing developments generate light traffic and low parking demand. What's more, the neighbors don't have to contend with loud noises or visitors coming and going at all hours of the night. Most importantly, seniors housing commu- nities put no strain on public schools, which eases the typical concerns about potential over- crowding that come with most new residential developments. As an added bonus, new seniors housing offers nearby options for families whose rela- tives may be ready to transition into some form of assisted living but who only want to move a short distance. That doesn't mean, however, that every new build goes off without a hitch. No project is impervious to opposition when it comes to building in a neighborhood's backyard. Long before shovels hit the dirt, seniors housing developers engage in dialogue with neighborhood leaders to win their sup- port while seeking approvals from local governments. Convincing neighborhood associations, zoning boards and city councils to favor new seniors construction can sometimes be rela- tively easy, but it also has the potential to be a contentious, drawn-out and laborious process. Still, it is meaningful work and requires a great deal of finesse. After all, no two devel- opment projects, neighborhoods or local ordi- nances are exactly alike. Whether developers are presenting before hundreds of residents or quietly knocking on one neighbor's door at a time, their efforts tell the story of the company and can help cement a positive perception of the future community from day one. Paul Chapman, chief development officer at Houston-based Belmont Village Senior Living, says community support can't be overstated. "We're building these buildings to fill them up. You want to win everybody over and have them welcome you. If everyone's mad at us at the end, they're not going to put their mom in our building," explains Chapman. "We pride ourselves on the way we work with neighbors. We put a lot of time and effort into neighborhood outreach. We think it's criti- cal. You could argue that it's as important as designing and building," adds Chapman. A celebration of seniors housing The art of nurturing relationships with com- munities is likely to become an increasingly important part of doing busi- ness. Many industry experts agree that the consumer demand for new product is still strong, especially when delivered by experienced seniors housing operators. "Most cities are under- served in terms of modern seniors housing," says Rich- ard Ackerman, founding chairman and senior man- aging principal at Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Big Rock Partners. "In spite of what is typically published about overbuild- ing, there is a lack of seniors housing. There is not enough that is viable and modern in America." Big Rock Partners is currently building three projects, including one in Celebration, Fla., a planned community just outside the gates of Walt Disney World. The project, Windsor at Celebration, is located on nine acres purchased for $4.5 million in 2014. When it opens in spring 2018, the community will contain a total of 240 units, including 152 independent living, 55 assisted living and 33 memory care units. Ackerman says that in planned communi- How To Win Over Neighborhood Skeptics n Development Gaining support for your seniors housing development project requires an ability to listen and adapt. A captive audience listens to Belmont Village Senior Living founder and CEO Patricia Will speak in November 2015 about Belmont Village Albany, the community that the company is constructing in affiliation with UC Berkeley in Albany, Calif. The audience consisted of more than 300 UC Berkeley retirees and area residents. Belmont Village hosted the event at the Krutch Theatre on UC Berkeley's Clark Kerr campus in response to local interest about the development after receiving more than 400 inquiries regarding the project. Paul Chapman Belmont Village