Senior Living: Austin retirement community plans $100 million expansion
By Shonda Novak for AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Westminster Manor, one of Austin’s oldest retirement communities, is about to start work on a $100 million expansion that will add new independent-living apartments, beds for residents requiring skilled nursing care, assisted living facilities and new amenities.
The expansion will almost double Westminster’s size to 645,623 square feet. Westminster is at 4100 Jackson Ave., near MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) south of 45th Street.
A new five-story residential building will be constructed north of the existing tower. The centerpiece of the expansion will be the Commons at Westminster Manor, which will include a new auditorium, cafe and a fitness center with a pool.
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place Tuesday. Construction is set to start Feb. 22, with the new main building ready for residents in February 2012. Ninety-five percent of the planned new units are reserved.
The expansion will answer the need for services for current and future residents for years to come, Westminster officials said, as the number of people age 65 and older is expected to double by the year 2040 with the aging of baby boomers.
Westminster, which opened in 1967, has about 370 residents and a waiting list of six months to two years, depending on the unit.
“We could not be more pleased about this expansion,” said Brian Robbins, executive director for Westminster Manor. “Given our rich heritage and 40-year experience in this industry, we have always worked to set the precedent for senior living in Austin. The high demand, our leading resident satisfaction, and our 100 percent occupancy speak for itself.”
With the expansion, Westminster will be one of at least three senior living communities in the Austin area that cover a full continuum of options: independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care and specialized care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The others are Querencia at Barton Creek and Longhorn Village in Steiner Ranch.
Longhorn Village was developed in affiliation with the Ex-Students’ Association of the University of Texas, a tie that gives residents access to numerous UT-related continuing education, sports, travel, music, arts and cultural activities.
At Querencia, there are 167 units for independent living, 42 licensed nursing beds, 40 assisted-living apartments and 23 suites for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s, said Leslie Dominguez, director of sales and marketing.
In addition, the Summit at Westlake has facilities ranging from independent living to skilled nursing care, but no memory care services. The Summit at Lakeway has units for assisted living, skilled nursing and facilities for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but not independent living.
Gene Warren Jr., a Phoenix-based expert on the economics of retirement, said most baby boomers, the oldest of whom will turn 65 next year, aren’t ready for continuing care retirement communities.
The major demand for that type of care will come in 10 to 15 years, he said, and “thus places like Westminster represent the leading edge.”
Robbins said the first phase of Westminster’s expansion will include the new five-story building, with two levels of underground parking.
In the second phase, the existing health center will be demolished, and the two buildings will be connected by a two-story structure housing the new commons space.
The existing health center, which has 90 skilled-nursing beds, “still has an excellent reputation in Austin,” Robbins said. However, “it lacks up-to-date amenities and is fairly institutional in construction.”
The expansion will bring updates that will help the community achieve its goal of becoming “a more residential model versus institutional model, benefiting our residents greatly,” Robbins said.
In all, the expansion will add 75 apartments for independent living, along with 55 skilled-nursing rooms, 30 skilled-nursing suites with a focus on memory support and 22 assisted-living apartments.
The expansion will have a two-star, and possibly three-star, rating from Austin Energy’s Green Building program, Robbins said.
The new one-, two- and three-bedroom residences will range in size from 845 square feet to 1,671 square feet.
The entrance fee for the new residences will start at an estimated $195,000, with monthly service fees starting at $3,000.
