Final phase of Building 50's historic renovation will be home to senior living

The decades-old rehabilitation project of Building 50 at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons marked a milestone with the groundbreaking of the Cordia Senior Residential Club in late October.

 

The 388,000-square-foot historic building is the final piece on the project, which has been undergoing a massive rebirth since 2000 when representatives from The Minervini Group began preservation efforts, officially acquiring the property in 2002.

 

"[Building 50] was the third asylum the state of Michigan built," explains Raymond Minervini, a partner at The Minervini Group. "Construction started in 1883 and it was occupied in November of 1885."

 

For decades the building served an important role in Traverse City as the largest regional employer for most of the twentieth century. When the asylum closed in 1989, more than 200 jobs were lost. Luckily for Northern Michigan, it didn't take long for Minervini to get involved on a mixed-use project that would reuse the historic building as part of the Grand Traverse Commons.

 

Now joining the property is Cordia, billed as an exclusive year-round, luxury residential community for independent seniors and those who require some assistance. CEO of Cordia Senior Living Karen Anderson became interested in the Traverse City property following a conversation that emphasized the importance of creating a "vibrant, energetic lifestyle community for seniors."

 

Minervini says Cordia was looking for opportunities in the Midwest when he became involved with bringing them to Traverse City. Naturally he felt his rehabilitation project would be a perfect fit for Cordia's clientele of seniors interested in being part of a vibrant community.

 

"It has significant value for people who are older to have a dynamic neighborhood right outside their door," he explains. "They're able to walk within the building even in the coldest of winter and enjoy the amenities without having to worry about slipping outside."

 

For Minervini, Cordia does more than occupy a historic space. They are filling a residential gap in Traverse City's growing community.

 

"We look at residential uses and we ask ourselves what type of people we want living here," says Minervini. "Well, we want a cross section of the community. We want a mixed-use neighborhood with young people and older people." Conversely, a mixed-use community is precisely what seniors need and are looking for.

 

Too often seniors are left abandoned in exurban or suburban communities where driving a car is a necessity. Cordia seeks to alleviate that obstacle by bringing seniors to the walkable, dense community of the Village.

 

"Research tells us that our seniors don't want to be isolated in the outskirts of town," explains Anderson. "They want to be part of a multi-generational, multi-use, vibrant community." In other words, one like The Village at Grand Commons and the Traverse City community, where everything a senior could possibly need is within reach. Of course Cordia itself will offer residents plenty within its own facility.

 

"There will be two dining venues, a fitness center, beauty salon, health spa, library, computer center, a variety of lovely outdoor spaces, courtyards, and gardening spaces for residents," says Anderson, listing off amenities. "There will also be a 60-person theater for films, lectures, and concerts for residents and for the larger community." 

 

Traverse City artists will also have the opportunity to join Cordia as part of an "artists in residence program" that will select four artists in the community to offer classes and mentor residents who live in the club.

 

By developing a mixed-use community for seniors, Minervini predicts the new residences will help keep retirees facing their golden years in the area, along with their spending money.

 

"Traverse City will be one of the finer senior living communities in Northern Michigan," boasts Minervini. "A lot of times people think they need to go to Arizona or Florida." But now with an emphasis on senior living present in Traverse City, the developers' hope is that many will consider staying closer to family by relocating to Cordia.

 

The $30.7 million project is slated for completion in the fall of 2014, creating more than 100 new jobs throughout the process in the Grand Traverse regional economy. And Minervini couldn't be happier to welcome Cordia to the community. 

 

"It's very gratifying to see the last part of Building 50 under renovation," he says. "And hopefully in a year from now the main building will be done, preserved and occupied." 

 

Anderson predicts they will.

 

"It's going to be a wonderful community for seniors who want to live active and engaged lifestyles."

Joe Baur is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Cleveland. He's also the Sections Editor of hiVelocity. You can contact him at joebaur.com.