Active apartments for seniors complete in Naperville
Residents are beginning to move into a 146-unit apartment community in Naperville designed for seniors 62 and older who want an active lifestyle.
Forty-one people so far live at Avenida Naperville, which is roughly 25% occupied after opening in February at 504 Commons Road, Executive Director Michele Clemen said.
The project had been in the works for roughly five years as developers looked to fill a gap in housing options for older adults who don't want a yard or driveway to maintain but don't need the support of an assisted-living facility.
The development by California-based Avenida Partners LLC has a clubhouse, private dining room, theater and library, along with studios for creative arts, yoga and fitness, an outdoor pool, a barbecue area and a game lawn.
But since shortly after the community's opening, Clemen said, nearly all planned activities have been hosted online or in very small groups with social distancing.
There have been webinars on investing during the pandemic and outdoor performances by musicians in the courtyard, she said. Residents and their children and grandchildren have taken walks through the nearby Nike Sports Complex, and they've gathered from a distance for "Hallway Happy Hour" with drinks and snacks from a rolling cart.
Avenida recently started conducting tours by appointment for prospective residents after giving only virtual tours during the stay-at-home orders.
The building offers nine floor plans of one- and two-bedroom apartments with a design created by architecture firm Meeks + Partners of Houston with inspiration from nearby historic neighborhoods. Rents start at $1,950 for one-bedroom units and $2,750 for two-bedrooms.
McShane Construction built the structure after completing 13 other senior or active living facilities within the past five years. The firm has built a total of 4,500 senior living units since 1990.
Developers worked with the Naperville senior task force on aging-friendly design elements before they gained city approval for the project.