Housing for older residents gets OK at Mayview site

An independent-living facility for older residents is slated to be part of the Hastings development on the former Mayview State Hospital site in South Fayette.

Township commissioners voted unanimously March 15 to approve the land development plan for Resort Lifestyle Communities, and construction could begin as early as this summer on the three-story structure containing 130 units.

The facility would be marketed to those age 75 and older, with 80 being the average age for tenants, said Bob Lewis, development director for Resort Lifestyle Communities.

One reason Hasting was chosen for the facility is because the Hastings developer, Lancaster-based Charter Homes and Neighborhoods, is creating a multigenerational space, Mr. Lewis said.

“It wasn’t long ago when you had people of all different ages living all on the same street — and then for a while, from a zoning perspective, the product was focused on one demographic or another,” said Robert Bowman, president of Charter Homes and Neighborhoods. “We realized we needed to stop segregating people by product type and determined we need to get all the different types of housing options in one neighborhood again.”

Hastings, located between Boyce Mayview Park and Fairview Park, will include a mix of singlefamily and mutli-family housing, along with retail and office space as well as green space.

“Our research showed that people who work in Pittsburgh retire in Pittsburgh,” Mr. Lewis said. “About 70 percent of the people who move into our communities originally lived within 10 miles of where they once lived. To be part of a community where residents can live close to family is definitely a benefit.”

The Resort Lifestyle Communities facility, expected to open in fall 2018, would provide a number of services for residents.

“We are all-inclusive, which means three meals a day, utilities, light housekeeping, maintenance, shuttle bus service, concierge service and the lifestyle director are all included in the price and there is no buy-in,” Mr. Lewis said.

Leases would be month to month, with monthly rents ranging from $3,200 to $4,500. Those figures are based on today’s prices and may change by the time the facility is opened. Most units would have one or two bedrooms, with a few studios and three-bedroom units.

“Our niche is for that unique time when people are ready to move out of their homes but have no need for assisted living,” Mr. Lewis said.

Resort Lifestyle Communities, which has 14 facilities nationwide, also plans to build one in Whitehall.