PLAINFIELD, N.J. — Regional owner-operator WinnCos. will undertake an affordable seniors housing renovation project in the Northern New Jersey community of Plainfield. Designed by New Jersey-based Inglese Architecture & Engineering, the project will modernize the 225-unit Richmond Towers and the 128-unit Joanne Hollis Gardens complexes and preserve the properties’ status as affordable for residents earning 30 percent or less of the area median income. Richmond Towers was built more than 50 years ago and features two 12-story towers housing 135 studio apartments and 90 one-bedroom apartments. Built in 1954 as West End Gardens, Joanne Hollis Gardens was rededicated in 2015 to posthumously honor the longtime resident who served as Plainfield housing commissioner and city councilwoman. The two-story, garden-style complex offers 16 one-bedroom, 66 two-bedroom, 32 three-bedroom and 14 four-bedroom apartments. WinnCos. is developing the project in partnership with the Housing Authority of Plainfield.
Seniors Housing
BMO Healthcare Provides $41M Acquisition Loan for Seniors Housing Community Near Portland
by Amy Works
SHERWOOD, ORE. — BMO Healthcare’s Real Estate Finance group has provided a $41 million loan for the acquisition of The Ackerly at Sherwood, a senior living community located in Sherwood, roughly 15 miles southwest of Portland. A joint venture between an institutional investor and Merrill Gardens is the borrower. Merrill Gardens will manage and operate the property. The Ackerly at Sherwood totals 130 units with independent living, assisted living and memory care residences. Based in Seattle, Merrill Gardens manages more than 60 seniors housing communities across 20 states.
DALLAS — The evolution of active adult product is in the third inning of a nine-inning game, but some markets are clearly ahead of the curve, says Zach Crowe, managing director of U.S. real estate for private equity giant The Carlyle Group. “There are markets like Dallas, Las Vegas and Denver that have had active adult for 20 years at this point, and the product is well known. The consumer understands what it is. There are other markets with very few properties, and people have no idea what it is. It’s still incredibly early [in the game],” reports Crowe, who is based in Washington, D.C., and focuses on real estate investment opportunities in multifamily, 55+ housing and medical office properties. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. The insights from Crowe came during the CEO panel at the fifth annual InterFace Active Adult conference. The daylong conference, which took place May 7 at The Westin Los Colinas in Dallas, attracted more than 300 industry professionals. Moderated by Ryan Maconachy, vice chairman of health and alternative assets for Newmark, the …
MONTEBELLO, N.Y. — A partnership between owner-operator FilBen Group and Dallas-based private equity firm RSF Partners has completed Braemar at Montebello, a $54 million assisted living facility in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley region. The property spans 133,675 square feet and features one- and two-bedroom units with an average size of 500 square feet, as well as an array of entertainment- and wellness-based amenities. H2M Architects + Engineers designed the project, and McAlpine Contracting handled construction. Work on the project began in January 2023.
LOS ANGELES — Live Oak Bank has provided a $25 million bridge-to-sale loan to finance a community located near Los Angeles. An entity doing business as Harbert Seniors Housing Fund I LP is the borrower. The financing features a three-year initial term, 36 months of interest-only payments and $2.8 million in potential future earnout proceeds. The property totals 97 units, with independent, assisted living and memory care residences.
DALLAS — What’s in a name? Plenty, according to the industry professionals that operate and market active adult communities. Jane Arthur Roslovic, co-founder and CEO of Treplus Communities, says that “if anybody called [her] a senior” she’d “smack them.” Roslovic’s quip came during a panel discussion — titled “Operating and Marketing: Best Practices in Lease-Up, Sales and Programming” — at the 5th annual InterFace Active Adult conference. The daylong event took place Wednesday, May 7, at The Westin Las Colinas in Dallas. Editor’s note: InterFace Conference Group, a division of France Media Inc., produces networking and educational conferences for commercial real estate executives. To sign up for email announcements about specific events, visit www.interfaceconferencegroup.com/subscribe. Roslovic and her fellow panelists argued that the same reluctance to be branded as a “senior” extends to prospective residents of active adult communities. The key to attracting and retaining residents, the panelists insisted, is to not only provide excellent product but also understand and cater to the public’s perception of age-restricted properties. Active adult communities are age-eligible, market-rate multifamily properties with enhanced lifestyle programming, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). Unlike independent living communities, active adult properties do not …
PORTLAND, ORE. — Merrill Gardens, a senior living owner and operator, has added three communities to its Oregon portfolio. Located in metro Portland, the properties include Merrill Gardens at Cedar Mill, Merrill Gardens at Sherwood and Merrill Gardens at Hillsboro. Merrill Gardens acquired the communities as part of a joint venture with PGIM. An ownership group led by Rembold sold the Cedar Mill and Sherwood properties. Built in 2016, Merrill Gardens at Cedar Mill in Portland totals 163,975 square feet with 147 independent living, assisted living and memory care units. Merrill Gardens at Sherwood, which is located in Sherwood, was built in 2019. The 147,657-square-foot community features 137 apartments with independent living, assisted living and memory care options. Pilar Properties, a sister company of Merrill Gardens that is part of the joint venture with PGIM, developed Merrill Gardens at Hillsboro in Hillsboro. Opened in 2024, the property encompasses 171,732 square feet with 141 independent living and assisted living units. Merrill Gardens will manage and operate each of the communities. The company’s portfolio now comprises 61 seniors housing properties across 16 states.
JLL, HJ Sims Secure $134.3M Bond Financing for Seniors Housing Development in Orlando
by John Nelson
ORLANDO, FLA. — JLL and HJ Sims have arranged $134.3 million in tax-exempt bond financing for a seniors housing development currently underway in Orlando. Dubbed Millenia Moments Orlando, the community will feature 151 independent living, 78 assisted living and 32 memory care units. Trinity Community Development Foundation, a nonprofit formed by Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is the developer and borrower. Completion of the facility, which will total 316,900 square feet, is scheduled for 2027. The community will feature floorplans in one- and two-bedroom layouts. Memory care residences will include 26 private and six companion units. Amenities at the community will include a fitness center, theater, library, business center, art studio, dog park, game rooms, a beauty salon and an outdoor pool area. Vitality Senior Living will operate the community. JLL Securities and HJ Sims, in collaboration with JLL Capital Markets’ seniors housing team, acted as co-underwriters and arranged the fixed-rate financing, which comprises tax-exempt senior series 2025A bonds with a final maturity of 40 years.
RICHMOND, KY. — Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors has brokered the sale of a 49-unit assisted living community located in Richmond, roughly 35 miles southeast of Lexington, Ky. A Midwest-based private equity group acquired the property, which was built in 2009, for an undisclosed price. Kyle Hallion, Connor Doherty and Ryan Kelly of Blueprint represented the seller, a New York-based owner-operator, in the transaction. Both parties requested anonymity.
CINCINNATI — Sonida Senior Living has expanded The Wellington at North Bend Crossing in Cincinnati with the addition of its new Vista building. The four-story building is now welcoming visitors for tours ahead of its anticipated summer opening. The Vista building adds 82 new assisted living and memory care apartments, supporting a maximum occupancy of 113 residents. The expansion will create nearly 65 new jobs in the area. The building features three outdoor spaces, a nearly 1,000-square-foot rehabilitation gym, fitness room, theater, game room, multiple dining venues, a salon and sunrooms on each floor. Responding to frequent requests from the community, Vista will introduce fully furnished assisted living apartments specifically available for temporary stays and respite care. This addition addresses a growing need among local families for flexible, supportive short-term living options. Vista also expands the community’s specialized memory care neighborhood, which utilizes Sonida’s Magnolia Trails program to provide engagement and purpose-driven experiences for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. With the addition of Vista, The Wellington at North Bend Crossing expands its continuum of care to include a total of 318 independent living, assisted living, memory care and temporary stay/respite care units.