Less than two months ago, The Kensington, a plush, 100,000-square-foot assisted-living residence in downtown White Plains, marked its grand opening.
Already, it is on pace to reach 50 percent occupancy by the end of November ”“ no small feat considering Westchester and the rest of the nation continue to be mired in a major housing slump.
The Kensington is not alone. A number of luxury assisted-living facilities in Westchester have thrived over the past several years on expectations of a spike in demand as members of the baby boomer generation near retirement.
“The reaction of the Westchester marketplace has been great,” said Celina B. Watson, executive director of The Kensington. She added there have been no complaints over the price, which ranges from $3,000 to $10,000 a month depending on the size of the apartment and the needs of the resident. “We”™re very competitive,” Watson said.
The New York State Department of Health lists some 27 adult care facilities in Westchester alone, including those that are solely independent-living communities and others that provide both independent living and medical care options.
The Kensington falls into the latter category, with one of its five floors devoted to caring for residents with early-to-mid-stage dementia and a second floor devoted to residents with mid-to-late-stage dementia, all of whom require varying degrees of medical attention.
“We can pretty much take anyone because we have the licensed nurses around the clock,” Watson said, adding that The Kensington has an enhanced assisted-living license. There is a nurse in the building at all times, she said, and if doctors are needed the White Plains Hospital Center is located next-door.
The Kensington is the first assisted-living facility to be built by owner Fountain Square Senior Living L.L.C. of McLean, Va., and Watson said the company is planning to build as many as 30 or 40 nationwide.
Just as Fountain Square Senior Living is getting started, Atria Senior Living Group Inc. is leading the charge to develop new facilities, both in Westchester and across the nation. Atria has four residences in Westchester and more than 120 communities in all.
The newest of the company”™s Westchester communities, Atria on the Hudson, opened six months ago in Ossining. John Hartmayer, Atria”™s regional vice president in charge of the Westchester and Fairfield county communities, said the demand is strong and still rising.
“We”™re mostly full across the board, with the exception of Ossining,” Hartmayer said. “We have very strong demand here ”¦ our move-ins have been steady and strong so I”™m pretty excited about where we”™re headed going into 2012.”
In addition to Ossining, Atria has locations in Rye Brook, Briarcliff and Ardsley, with the number of units ranging from 105 to 175 at those four locations. Like Watson at The Kensington, Hartmayer said Atria”™s pricing has stayed competitive and that rates start at about $5,000 a month.
“We”™re constantly reviewing our rates. We are priced appropriately for the market,” he said.
