New Senior Building Offers Childcare
A new senior campus in St. Louis Park is aimed at residents 65 and older, but its also going to have an intergenerational component: a childcare facility for pre-k, toddlers and infants. Developer Arnie Gregory, principal at Minneapolis-based Greco Real Estate Development, recently announced plans to open a 65,000-square-foot daycare facility called TowerLight Childcare this winter next to TowerLight Senior Center, which held a grand opening last month. The $16.4 million project was one of the finalists for the 2012 Best in Real Estate Award from the Business Journal.
The childcare facility, which will have room for 66 children, is on the main floor, adjacent to the arts and crafts and activity rooms for the home’s senior citizens. Kaas Wilson Architects designed the building and Engelsma Construction Inc. was the general contractor.
The proximity of childcare and eldercare spaces should “facilitate interaction among TowerLight’s intergenerational residents,” according to a news release from Ebenezer Management Services, which is managing both facilities.
Some of the activities that will be done with seniors and children are story time, chapel time, outdoor playtime, arts and crafts, games, and special events and parties.
“There is an abundance of sociological research through the years demonstrating the tremendous value and mutual benefits for seniors and young children sharing the same space and activities,” according to Annie Westall, Housing Manager for Ebenezer, a division of Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services. Ebenezer has had experience managing similar intergenerational programs for about a decade, including at Ebenezer Ridges in Burnsville.