New 90-unit assisted living building, set to open this fall, will increase the footprint of The Gatesworth campus to more than a million square feet, bring 90 to 100 new jobs to St. Louis.
With the roof and crowning cupola now in place on the new McKnight Place Assisted Living expansion, representatives of The Gatesworth senior living community marked a milestone in the development of the latest addition to the 15-acre Gatesworth campus. Scheduled to open this fall, the new 3 story, 102,000-square-foot building will feature 90 new, upscale apartment homes. The addition is part of a $32 million expansion of McKnight Place Assisted Living that will occur in two phases, with the second phase to include a complete renovation of the existing 74,000-square-foot McKnight Place Assisted Living building which, upon completion in March 2018, will feature 18 additional assisted living apartments and 27 separate memory care apartments. Together, the new and renovated buildings will have the capacity to provide more of the all-inclusive, high-quality services McKnight Place has come to be known for.
The new expansion is designed to increase capacity, while also offering larger apartments and more floor plan options that include roomy suites and one-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes. Assisted living apartments will feature four floor plans ranging in size from 376 to 783 square feet. All apartments in the new building will offer a host of upscale amenities, including entry foyers with wood style flooring; crown molding; kitchens with brushed glazed wood cabinets, granite countertops, and full-sized refrigerators; spacious, luxuriously appointed bathrooms; nine and 10-foot ceilings; loads of natural light featuring large PellaÒ windows; ample closet space and ducted heating and cooling systems with individual thermostats in each apartment.
Additional amenities within the new building’s common areas include a stately new assisted living entrance; a gracious community living room and lounge area with a view over the beautifully landscaped courtyard featuring a fountain; an elegant main floor dining room, café bistro and a private dining room; a large fitness/wellness gym; a 45-seat theater/chapel; card rooms; a billiard room; a full-service beauty salon; an art room; a greenhouse, and landscaped gardens with pergolas and a fountain. All of the new amenities will enhance the existing robust schedule of entertainment, activities and social outings, while residents will also be able to continue to enjoy the supportive services that make life easier and more convenient, including on-site physical and occupational therapy and nursing care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There will be a licensed nurse on site 24 hours a day.
Renovations to create the new memory care wing will begin in November following completion of the new expansion. The renovations will include a separate memory care entrance providing access to 27 memory care apartments for residents with cognitive impairments, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
“We are excited to see our McKnight Place Assisted Living expansion continue to take shape with the construction of the newest building on our campus and the planned renovation of our existing assisted living building,” said Bob Leonard, Director of Operations for The Gatesworth Communities. “The amenities, services and staffing levels offered to assisted living residents at McKnight Place are truly unparalleled, and we can’t wait to give even more St. Louis seniors the opportunity to experience all that we have to offer.”
The McKnight Place expansion will increase the footprint of The Gatesworth campus to over one million square feet and further enhance the comprehensive level of the continuum of care services available to the residents. Within the 15-acre Gatesworth campus, seniors have access to independent living options at The Gatesworth, as well as extended care and assisted living services through McKnight Place. Upon the completion of the renovation of the existing McKnight Place assisted living building, seniors will also, for the first time, have the opportunity to take advantage of a dedicated memory care offering within the sought after retirement community.
With over 500 employees, the locally owned and operated Gatesworth campus is estimated to be one of the largest employers in University City, and the number of staff members is expected to grow by almost 20 percent with the openings of the new and renovated assisted living buildings. An additional 50 new employees will be hired this year to staff the new building, with another 40 employees to be hired in early 2018 for positions at the renovated assisted living and memory care building. As the construction and renovation phases continue, 80-100 construction workers will be on the job site daily.
Serving as the general contractor on the McKnight Place expansion project is GateCo Development. Chris Leonard, VP of Development and Construction for GateCo, leads a team of senior housing development experts that handles all new construction and renovation projects within The Gatesworth campus. Additional members of the project team include the Lawrence Group which is serving as architect; the Sterling Company, which is handling civil engineering; Alper Audi, Inc., which is handing structural engineering; Jarrell Mechanical Contractors, which is the Mechanical Design-Build Contractor; Guarantee Electrical, which is the Electrical Design-Build Contractor; Plumbing Planning Corp. which is the Plumbing Design-Build Contractor; and Ahern Fire Protection, which is serving as the Fire Protection Design-Build Contractor. Funding for the project comes in the form of a HUD-insured mortgage.
“This is a very exciting time for The Gatesworth community,” noted Chris Leonard. “We are committed to providing an environment in which St. Louis area seniors can access the highest-quality continuum of care services in an elegant, residential setting, and this expansion will make it possible for us to meet the needs of more seniors than ever before.”
For more information on the McKnight Place expansion, visit www.mcknightplace.com or call (314) 993-3333. For details on The Gatesworth community and its continuum of care services, visit www.thegatesworth.com or call (314) 993-0111.
Named one of the nation’s “Top 10 Retirement Communities” by Forbes Magazine, The Gatesworth opened its doors in 1988 and established itself as a pioneer in providing area seniors with a variety of quality services in a warm, residential environment. Today, The Gatesworth’s 15-acre campus is one of the St. Louis area’s premier continuum of care retirement communities, featuring independent living options at The Gatesworth and assisted living and extended care services at McKnight Place. The Gatesworth community offers its residents an elegant, residential lifestyle that sets the standard for excellence in senior living. We have been providing assisted living on The Gatesworth Campus for over 25 years.
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Renderings of the new building, along with floor plans and a video overview, can be viewed and downloaded here.
For more information, contact:
Julie Hauser
(314) 436-9090
julie@hausergrouppr.com