Generally, when one thinks about the massive, new mixed-use projects under development, a few images come to mind. Apartments, offices, hotels and retail mixed together, with some green walking trails and open spaces. Seniors housing, however, is probably not among those first impressions. This idea is changing, though, as mixed-use developers and seniors housing owners and operators begin to see the mutual benefits that senior living can bring to a project. The demographic wave of Baby Boomers hitting retirement age will nearly double the 65-plus population in the United States by 2050, from 43.1 million to 83.7 million, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau. The tactic of integrating seniors living into mixed-use developments is becoming more common throughout the country. Usually in high-end developments, the target market is seniors with disposable income. While the projects are a one-off concept for most seniors housing developers, some are making it a cornerstone of their development philosophies. For example, Georgia-based Formation Development Group, a subsidiary of private equity group Formation Capital, has opened four communities in mixed-use developments in Texas and Illinois since 2009. The company has a fifth currently under construction in Pennsylvania. “That’s an intentional strategy on our part,” …
