Havenwood at Blaine is planned to be part of a future development that would include a Hy-VEE store. It’s a 187 unit development that will include memory care, assisted living and independent living units. At a city council meeting, the developer said aging baby boomers are driving the market.
“What we’re seeing specifically in the city of Blaine is that the age demographic of the 65 plus is going to grow by 75 percent over the next 5-10 years,” said Jeff Koch of Roers Companies. “So that senior living need is there and going to continue to be there.”
Another proposal would redevelop two homes on Radisson Road into a senior building called, Applewood Pointe Senior Cooperative. There would be 100 living units built in a 4-story building. The Planning Commission recommended approval despite opposition from neighbors.
“It’s going to ruin the integrity of the Lakes. That’s why we moved there,” said one woman. “As we look out we see the woods. We have wildlife and if this is going to be built, we’re going to be looking at a parking lot.”
Opponents’ concerns include the building’s height and the loss of trees. A final decision will come from the city council. The developer says the traffic generated by the project would be much less than that from townhomes that had been suggested for the area.
Council member Jess Robertson sees senior buildings, in general, as a continuing trend based on numbers.
“You have an aging population that’s aging out of their homes. They can’t take care of a home by themselves but they’re ingrained in a community they’re engaged in a community. They want to be near their friends, their family, the amenities and the familiarity of the community,” said Robertson.
Robertson says a lot of residential growth is expected in the near future, and she wants people to understand why it happens.
“There’s opportunities where the city can step in and say, ‘hey that’s not what our comp plan reflects or that may not be the direction the council is looking at.’ When it comes to private landowners they should be able to do with their property as they want and we expect a lot of residential growth.
“One of the things I always tout about Blaine is having a variety of housing options for all income levels and all age groups,” said Community Development Director Erik Thorvig.
Thorvig says the two senior living buildings now in the approval process are very different from each other.
“One is more of a continuum of care where you have assisted living for people that need memory care and also an independent component as well. Then we have an interesting product called, “Applewood Pointe” which is a senior cooperative. That’s a product by United Properties and they’ve built that same style in other metro communities. It’s an owner-occupied product at a pretty high price range of over $400,000 per unit.”
Thorvig says it’s always challenging with high density projects because of the buildings’ height and the traffic it may generate.
The Applewood Pointe project will now go to the city council for consideration.
