Phoenix Senior Living Community Begins $260M Redevelopment

Beatitudes Patio Homes rendering

Beatitudes Campus, a Phoenix not-for-profit life plan community that offers memory care services and senior housing including assisted living and skilled nursing, is building 34 patio homes as the first phase of an eight-year, $260 million redevelopment plan that will increase occupancy capacity by 33 percent.

Located on a 27-acre campus in north central Phoenix, the community serves 700 residents and expects to be able to provide services for 1,000 seniors when the master plan is completed. In addition to the patio homes that will be built on the Myrtle Avenue side of the campus, two new independent living buildings will be constructed in future phases. Existing buildings will be renovated and amenity spaces will be upgraded.

“It’s a transformational time for Beatitudes Campus. We are building on our strength and reputation to serve seniors for the years to come,” Michelle Just, president & CEO of Beatitudes Campus, said in a prepared statement. “This master plan will ensure that we are poised to deliver high quality and innovative living choices and amenities that matter most for seniors to age in place.”

The Weitz Co., the general contractor for all the phases, began construction last month on the patio homes that are single-level residences built to resemble a traditional neighborhood with a variety of sizes and floor plans. Each home will include a living room, full-size kitchen, garage and front and back patios. They also come with a lifestyle package that includes dining, maintenance, housekeeping, utilities, phone, internet and healthcare services. As of late February, 70 percent of the homes had been reserved.

“It’s easy to see why patio homes are a popular residential choice. They offer the best of all worlds—a comfortable home in a traditional neighborhood, convenient services that make life easier, plus restaurants, interesting activities and healthcare all within walking distance,” Just said.

Weitz is working with architect Orcutt|Winslow on the patio homes, which are expected to be completed by early 2020. Both firms will work together on the remaining phases of the redevelopment plan.

“Beatitudes Campus has an outstanding plan in place for its community that will elevate the experience and level of care seniors seek to maintain active and fulfilled lifestyles. We were excited to get the first phase started with the recent groundbreaking of the patio homes, and look forward to delivering future phases in the years to come,” Kimberly Davids, Weitz general manager, told Multi-Housing News.

Weitz has worked on three previous projects at Beatitudes Campus. The first and largest, the Promenade, was completed in 2009. Constructed in two phases, the Promenade added 199 new independent living units and 278,000 square feet to the senior living community while renovations were performed across the existing campus. Weitz and architect Orcutt | Winslow also worked together on the Promenade project.

An Adaptive Reuse in Iowa

Weitz, based in Des Moines, Iowa, was recently involved in a multifamily project closer to home. The firm was the general contractor on the Fort Des Moines adaptive reuse project developed by Blackbird Investments that turned the historic Fort Des Moines into 142 residential apartments. Weitz had been the original builder of the fort between 1903 and 1910 and was tapped by the developer more than a century later to take on the adaptive reuse of the same structures. The fort had been the site of the training of the first African-American officers commissioned into the U.S. Army. The site housed seven barracks and three stables. Weitz delivered the first 40 residential units in June. The remaining apartments were slated to be completed by the end of 2018.

Image courtesy of Orcutt|Winslow