Bradford’s more mature residents may soon have a new option for downsizing their housing.
Representatives of Wellings Communities, parent company Nautical Lands Group and partner Choice Properties were joined by representatives from the town and members of council for the official groundbreaking of Wellings of Bradford, an apartment building for active adults aged 55-plus, at 397 Langford Blvd., on Wednesday afternoon.
The development is intended to be a place where older adults can “thrive” as they age, according to Peter Gregor, vice-president of development for Nautical Lands Group.
“We are communities where seniors belong long before they need a retirement home,” he said.
Plans also include a 279-square-metre (3,000-square-foot) clubhouse featuring a dining lounge and bar, fitness room, shuffle board, ping pong, pool tables and more.
Kirk Hoppner, retired founder of Nautical Lands, compared that convenience to “a cruise ship on land.”
The location puts it close to plenty of shops, including grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants and more, plus the main route of the local transit network.
“You can go anywhere and buy anything you want at any time,” Hoppner said.
Planned to be four storeys tall, the building is set to include 76 apartments with a 50-50 split between one- and two-bedroom units, ranging from about 65 to 88 sq. m (700 950 sq. ft.) including balconies and/or patios, and feature open-concept kitchens and living rooms.
Hoppner explained the company used to build typical retirement homes before surveying prospective tenants and discovering they wanted more independence, with one person emphasizing the importance of having a full kitchen to cook a turkey for her family.
“Everyone wants to be independent and everyone wants dignity,” he said.
That sentiment was echoed by Mayor James Leduc, who shared that his own parents are in an assisted living home, and his mother “can’t get past” not being able to cook a full meal for her children and grandchildren.
He called the Wellings concept “a real blessing” for Bradford, and joked that he may be soon be looking to live in the building himself.
“With our aging population in Canada, this is exactly what we need,” he said. “We are a lot younger at 65 and 70 years of age now.”
Leasing is set to be month-to-month and cover maintenance, but without the cost of health care that comes with typical retirement homes.
Kevin Pidgeon, president and COO of Nautical Lands, said they were hoping to provide “affordable seniors housing,” with a focus on social interaction, where “traditional” retirement services won’t be required.
“If we build a community that’s active and provides an opportunity for people to be fully socialized and active in the community, we can actually keep them younger,” he said.
If all goes well, Pidgeon anticipates the new Bradford building will be move-in ready by November 2025, thanks largely to their use of modular designs and pre-fabricated sections.
The company is hoping to build “many more” Wellings communities and “pretty soon, you’re going to see a Wellings on every street corner hopefully in Canada,” Hoppner said.
Units are still available for pre-registration and more information can be found at wellingsofbradford.com.
