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A plan to eventually bring more than 70 new assisted living and memory care units to Coon Rapids is getting good reviews from city leaders.
On Tuesday, the Coon Rapids City Council granted land use approvals for the 32-unit first phase of the proposed Suite Senior Care of Coon Rapids project, which includes 20 assisted living and 12 memory care units. The project site is at the corner of Coon Rapids Boulevard and Norway Street Northwest.
Landco Investments of Coon Rapids LLC and Hampton Cos., entities related to Suite Living Senior Care of White Bear Lake, are the applicants. The developers hope to build another 40 units in a second phase, according to a staff report. Phase two’s timing is to be determined, but a building permit for the first round of construction could be issued in spring or summer 2024, said Dakota Crowell, Coon Rapids’ senior planner.
Crowell said Wednesday that the development team submitted an application to the city in October. In November, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the first phase. Phase two approvals will be considered separately.
In general, the city has seen a need for assisted living and memory care and “the council has been supportive of those types of uses,” Crowell said. “They understand that having a full spectrum of housing” allows aging Coon Rapids residents “to stay in Coon Rapids. They see it as part of the continuum of housing.”
A project narrative notes that Suite Living has 14 locations operating in the Twin Cities. As of October, Suite Living had four more buildings under construction, and four approved for construction.
Jeremy Larson, executive vice president of Suite Living, said in the narrative that the planned Coon Rapids housing would provide residents with “the right care at the right time.” Proposed amenities include a congregate dining room, sunroom, activity/craft area, secure outdoor patio and a “life enrichment program” for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“The assisted living residents will be able to enjoy a home-like atmosphere in a setting that allows them the freedom to participate in many amenities that not only help assist them in their daily care needs, but also provide them with a higher quality of life than that offered in a more institutional setting,” the narrative says, adding that the project would create 25 jobs with an annual payroll of $750,000.
Generally speaking, the demographics are “very favorable” for assisted living and memory care providers, said Jill Johnson, a senior housing consultant and owner of Johnson Consulting Services in Minneapolis.
“Over the next 5 to 10 years, there is going to be a lot more need for that. The challenge for all projects offering that kind of service is hiring enough staff to provide the services and care. That is a challenge for everybody in the industry. That is something that will affect a new project in that market,” Johnson said.
The capital markets are another challenge, Johnson said, adding that “a lot of deals have been tabled” as developers wait for more favorable interest rates and financing terms.
On the plus side for the Suite Living project, Coon Rapids is a “strong health care community with Mercy Hospital in that area. That is the kind of thing that typically makes a site more appealing,” Johnson said.
Existing senior housing in the city includes the 100-unit Glen Senior Living at 3715 Coon Rapids Blvd. Glen Senior Living opened in 2015 and was sold for $20.3 million in 2018, as Finance & Commerce reported at the time.
From a macro perspective, Coon Rapids is a “developed community with little remaining vacant land,” according to the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan. But the “overall residential density will likely increase in the coming years, as underutilized commercial land is converted to residential uses.”
SOURCE: Finance & Commerce
