A recent survey of
baby boomers south of the border shows a significant percentage want to
make a major commitment to lifelong learning.
Combine that desire with a growing number of retiring baby boomers
and thus a greater need for retirement housing and you've got the
potential for a new housing concept.
A Massachusetts company is already on top of it.
Campus Continuum hopes to create residential communities for
people 55-plus on or near college campuses and in the survey, exploring
the possibility of a pilot project at Juniata College in Huntingdon,
Penn., more than half the respondents indicated an interest in the
concept.
"Think of it as living at an academic country club," says
Gerard Badler, managing director of Campus Continuum. "At a certain
stage in their lives -- often after the kids have grown and moved out
-- we're finding that people are drawn to the idea of living in a
diverse community of lifelong learners."
His vision for this campus neighbourhood -- recently identified
as part of a larger trend by the New York Times -- involves condominium
living in what he describes as "university-branded 55-plus active adult
communities tightly integrated with their academic hosts."
He says it can result in a win-win situation for both the
institution, which is not asked to make a significant financial
investment and could reap revenues from a new crop of senior students,
and for the mature residents, some of them perhaps rabid alumni who
tend to identify with their alma maters more more strongly than grads
do in Canada. As part of the deal they would have access to courses as
well as cultural and athletic events, college facilities such as
libraries and fitness centres, and tutoring and mentoring
opportunities.
Plans at Juniata College include a variety of residential
options and a clubhouse and cafe/bistro, plus the development of
seminars and special programs and social, volunteer and travel
opportunities. Residents would also be able to rent office space and
share business services at the Juniata College Center for
Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Juniata is a liberal arts and sciences college of more than
1,400 students located in central Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains.
Its 110-acre main campus is supplemented by a 315-acre nature preserve
and 365-acre environmental studies field station on nearby Raystown
Lake. Juniata is located about three hours from Pittsburgh, Baltimore
and Washington, D.C.
Similar concepts, some with mixed housing that includes a
component intended for aging boomers, are under development across the
country, the New York Times reported on Feb. 7, including: "the
University of Connecticut in Storrs; the University of Notre Dame;
Furman University in Greenville, S.C., where a retirement community on
campus is being planned; and Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass., where
construction will begin soon on 120 condominium apartments on campus
for working people and retirees."
Further south, developers linked to the University of Georgia
are building an 800-home golf community on 1,200 acres near Athens,
Ga., reports Campus Continuum. Built around the Georgia Club, a recent
community newsletter reported that 100 households had moved into the
development since 2004.
Sarah Freeman, director of marketing and membership for the
Georgia Club, told Forever Young, "Being close to campus has afforded
us access to many amenities for our residents. Our older residents (65
and older) can audit classes at no charge, and we have had some take
advantage of that. We regularly take trips on campus for symphony
performances or sporting events. We also have guest speakers from UGA
come and do programs for us through our Expanding Horizons series.
As for Canada, Gerard Badler comments, "I'm not aware of any
similar projects being planned in Canada, although I certainly think it
makes sense and would welcome any interest from Canadian academic
institutions."
For information on the Campus Continuum concept, check on-line at campuscontinuum.com. See also thegeorgiaclub.com.
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RETIREES LIVING ON CAMPUS: A GROWTH INDUSTRY IN THE U.S.
Examples of college-affiliated retirement communities already built in the United States, according to campuscontinuum.com:
