Guests gather in the community room at the Empire Luxury Living apartment building in Silvis.
This piece was originally published in QCBJ's Senior Living section. Senior living is a booming business in the Quad Cities. And it is likely to keep booming. That’s the view of several leaders with senior living facilities in the region. Many in the business say that boom is being backed by a growing and aging […]
This piece was originally published in QCBJ's Senior Living section.Senior living is a booming business in the Quad Cities. And it is likely to keep booming.That’s the view of several leaders with senior living facilities in the region.Many in the business say that boom is being backed by a growing and aging population that needs senior housing facilities. Some believe the explosion of new senior housing also is being sparked by the red-hot housing market.“There’s definitely a boom going on … It’s going to continue,” said Heather Ropp, regional director of Pella, Iowa-based Ewing Properties, which builds and maintains senior living developments, including The Suites of Bettendorf.The Suites is just one of several senior facilities recently completed, expanded or in the works across the Quad Cities region. Other new facilities include: Quartet: A Senior Living Village in Bettendorf; The Summit of Bettendorf; and Empire Luxury Living, Silvis.Ms. Ropp added that the Quad Cities region is seeing this building boom because it is needed in the region where the population is getting older and many seniors require the extra services.“There’s a whole wave of people 55 and above, and they see it’s time to simplify their lives,” she added.Amy Gutknecht, of The Quartet: A Senior Living Village in Bettendorf, agrees. She adds that the region may have been underserved with limited options for senior facilities in the past. That is quickly changing with several new projects in the works.She added that many people are responding positively to the new projects including The Quartet. Prospective residents like the location, outdoor space and the activities and features offered by the new senior facilities.“Market research shows there’s a lot of need for senior facilities. … This is good for people because each place is a little different. This is great for everybody,” she said of the variety of choices. One of those new facilities, Empire Luxury Living in Silvis, held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 1.Silvis Mayor Matt Carter, who attended the grand opening, called Empire a great addition to the community and a $4.5 million investment in Silvis.“This is an opportunity for people who want to sell their homes and still stay in the community. It’s a wonderful facility,” Mr. Carter added.The Empire’s grand opening attracted hundreds of guests in just the first couple of hours. Visitors toured some of the 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments that will be leased, plus the facility’s workshop, fitness room, pub, a guest room for visitors and many other features.Among the guests was Matt Brooke, the city administrator for nearby Clinton, Iowa, who was touring Empire in hopes of bringing a similar facility to his city.“The more you can create a sense of community in these places, the better it will be for people,” he added.Becky Lee Hinton, executive director of the Overlook Village Senior Living in Moline, added that she believes the senior facility boom will continue into the coming years. “The need is not going away. More will be needed in the future,” she added.The Quad Cities, of course, is not the only part of the nation with an aging population in need of senior facilities. According to Rural Health Information Hub (RHIH), “The U.S. population is aging. Today, there are more than 46 million older adults aged 65 and older living in the U.S. By 2050, that number is expected to grow to almost 90 million. Between 2020 and 2030 alone, the time the last of the baby boom cohorts reach age 65, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million. This means by 2030, one in five Americans is projected to be 65 years old and over.”The RHIH estimates that 90% of adults over age 65 experience one or more chronic conditions, and will need specific treatments and medical care.But the senior facility building boom in the region and nation is not just about a population that is growing older. It’s also being spurred by a red-hot housing market. Many seniors are finding this is the perfect time to sell their homes — at a price they want — then move into senior facilities.
It’s also the economy
“A lot of people we deal with are finding they have no worries about getting the price they want for their homes. This is the perfect time to move,” said Ms. Lee Hinton of Overlook Village, which opened nearly four years ago on the former Lutheran Hospital site.This trend of hot home sales might continue for the rest of the year, housing experts predict.“National economists anticipate another strong year in 2022,” Byron Menke, president of the , Iowa Association of Realtors, said in a recent news release. “However, conditions of a limited supply of homes and projected increase in interest rates may temper things a bit.”Ms. Ropp of Ewing Properties also sees this trend and it might lead to people moving into senior facilities or moving south.“It’s a good time to sell a home; people are looking at home prices and deciding it’s time to downsize and simplify their lives. … You’re going to see this especially in the Midwest. People want to downsize and move to warmer climates,” she said.Here are some of the new, expanded or changed senior living facilities in the region:
3150 Glenbrook Circle, BettendorfThis facility is under construction and is expected to open in May. The Quartet offers a variety of floor plans, ranging from studios to two-bedroom unit apartments with between 328 to 940 square feet, according to the company’s website.Features include: 17 floor plans; one chef-prepared meal per day; maintenance-free apartment homes; staff onsite 24 hours a day; and a full calendar of events and activities. There are also memory-care apartments. For more information, go to quartetseniorliving.com.
4699 53rd Ave., BettendorfOpened last year, it offers “first-class amenities and services to enhance your current lifestyle in Bettendorf,” according to the company’s website.A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held from 3-4 p.m., Tuesday, May 17, at The Summit. An open house will follow the ceremony.The facility, which offers numerous floor plans, provides independent living, assisted living, assisted living memory support, short-term rehab and long-term healthcare.Features include a wellness center, library, theater, chapel, three restaurants and general store. For more information, go to wesleylife.org.
601 22nd Ave., SilvisThis 55-plus community hosted grand opening events on Friday, April 1.The multi-unit community is the first of its kind in Silvis. A news release states, “The Empire community is built around the transition of active adults ready for a worry-free, active lifestyle.” Features include: breakfast five days a week, a full fitness center, a third-floor pub with balcony, a greenhouse, a woodworking shop, outdoor grilling, and planting beds.The community has a combination of 27 one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, as well as a guest suite. For more information, call Patty Tucker, 563-279-2531 or go to empire-silvis.com.
2592 Middle Road, BettendorfLocated near the intersection of Middle Road and Spruce Hills Drive, the three-story building is situated on seven acres and offers residents a choice of 13 different floor plans. The facility includes a fitness center, lounge, library, clubroom, workshop, garden plots and underground parking. A grand opening event for The Suites was held Thursday, April 14.“Once inside this secure cooperative, enjoy a great room with fireplace and kitchen, clubroom, fitness center, workshop, garden plots, guest suites, conversation lounge, library, and heated, underground parking,” according to the facility’s website. For more information, call (319) 330-2368.
6701 Jersey Ridge Road, DavenportThe facility recently added two new assisted living units, and offers long term, post-acute/short term rehab, memory/dementia, and respite care provided by trained professional staff. The licensed Medicare and Medicaid senior living facility is designed to promote community living and make socialization easier for the residents.Features include: 105 private rooms and 30 semi-private rooms; each room is equipped with its own bathroom and shower, flat screen TV, and wireless Internet access; semi-private rooms have two separate bedrooms with a shared bathroom. For more information, go to kahlhomedav.com.
Ribbon-cutting ceremonies have been scheduled at two local facilities that will or have become ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation facilities.A ceremony is set for 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, at the former Heartland Health Care Center, 833 16th Ave., Moline. There also will be a ceremony from 1-3 p.m., Thursday, April 28, at the former ManorCare Health Services — Utica Ridge located at 3800 Commerce Blvd., Davenport.“More than just a new name, our evolution in joining ProMedica means we are redefining the delivery of health care within our community. Clients can expect the same great care, same great team across our continuum of services and acceptance of most insurance plans, but with the added expertise we gained by joining a not-for-profit health system,” according to information from ProMedica. For more information, go to promedicaskillednursing.org.
