Hotelier to use hospitality expertise to move into seniors housing
FLORIDA: A hotelier is set to step into the seniors housing development and management market.
In south Fort Myers, developers of Amavida think they’ve found a winning niche.
Amavida is a 432-unit senior rental community set to open December off Gladiolus Drive in south Fort Myers. It will have accommodations for both independent and assisted living, as well as memory care.
Quadrum Global, the developer, is an international real estate company with a focus on high-end hotel brands. Its Quadrum Senior Living (QSL) division will manage the south Fort Myers community, which it hopes will be a precursor to others.
Company leaders say Amavida will have many qualities of a destination resort, with features including:
- Three onsite restaurants, plus bars
- Three swimming pools, including a lap pool
- A par-3 golf practice area
- Private resident gate access to Lakes Regional Park
- Three movie theaters
- Three salons and spas
- Valet parking
- Modern, European minimalist architecture and design features
The key amenities come in threes because Quadrum wants residents to have easy access to similar perks whether they occupy an assisted living apartment, a memory care suite or a cottage or apartment designed for independent living.
Residents will find many things are built into the rent they pay: utilities, cable service and, weekly housekeeping, to name a few. Residents also get $500 in Amavida money monthly to spend at the restaurants and bars, said Heather Battey, community executive director.
Monthly rentals start at $2,495 for a one-bedroom-one-bath independent living apartment for a single occupant.
Assisted living apartments start at $3,895 monthly, and increase based on services residents need for daily living activities, such as bathing and dressing.
At the high end, monthly rental of independent living cottages runs up to $6,000, as do the memory care units.
Battey said 75 is the average age of people placing deposits for units, which she said is about 10 years younger than many adult communities.
That means many who move in aim to stay physically and mentally active: They just want to skip the chores.
But Amavida also recognizes needs can change as people age, Battey said. It’s an ACHA-licensed assisted living provider. It doesn’t offer long-term, skilled nursing care, but has a rehabilitation facility on-site that will handle many of the situations that put people temporarily in skilled nursing.
For residents requiring help with daily living, it will have 135 assisted living apartments; 25 memory care quarters; and 10 recovery suites.
A nurse will be on call 24/7.
Shuttles to specialized medical care and to shopping will be provided. However, everyday bumps and bruises can be handled by a physician-staffed on-site clinic that will be open to Amavida residents and employees.
Pre-opening rentals are going well, according to Battey. For example, all 28 independent living cottages ranging in size from 1,500 to 1,700 square feet are spoken for.
