A one-story, 64-unit senior living facility is proposed in Hixson on four acres near Abba's House off Northpoint Boulevard. The facility will represent an $8 million investment and is slated to be open by the end of March 2016.Knoxville-based Dominion Senior Living announced plans Monday to introduce its faith-based assisted living and memory care line to Chattanooga with a 64-unit, $8 million facility.
The site is a roughly four-acre tract of land off Northpoint Boulevard abutting Abba's House in Hixson.
Dominion currently operates a senior living facility in Sevierville, Tenn., and is set to open another location soon in Johnson City, Tenn.
Abba's House sold a piece of its property to Dominion Senior Living of Hixson for the facility and will serve as its ministry partner.
Church leaders said the agreement is not a financial partnership.
"There's not a lot of buildable land in Hixson, believe it or not, that is anywhere near affordable," said Josh Crisp, senior vice president of Dominion, on Monday.
He said Dominion was attracted to Abba's House because of the church's existing ministries geared toward senior adults and the ability to buy from and build so close to the church.
About Dominion
Dominion Senior Living of Hixson will offer 32 assisted living rooms and 32 memory care rooms, and accommodate 84 total residents.
A one-story, 64-unit senior living facility is proposed in Hixson on four acres near Abba's House off Northpoint Boulevard.Crisp said Dominion also likes the Hixson area and its growth, and the company believes Hixson is underserved from a senior living standpoint.
"The demand there was really unmet," he said.
Dominion specializes in moving into underserved or unserved markets.
"We specifically think there's a real opportunity because the markets are so underserved and are so overlooked by major developers," Crisp said.
Ronnie Phillips, senior associate pastor of Abba's House, said the church is "so excited" about the partnership and that leadership has been "praying about this opportunity for a long time."
With so many churchgoers turning retirement age and older, or having loved ones who are, he said Abba's House has even considered building a senior living facility of its own.
"We began pursuing part of our land for that, building one ourselves, doing something of that nature," Phillips said. "We feel like the timing's right."
Acting as ministry partner, Abba's House will stream its services live to Dominion Senior Living, provide bereavement counseling for families and Dominion staff and have volunteer ministry teams visit and interact with Dominion residents.
"I really believe that your seniors are really the lifeline for your church," said Phillips.
He said senior ministry is sometimes forgotten or neglected within churches and "we need to understand that they're still valuable."
Abba's House also will transport willing and able Dominion residents to church services.
He said Abba's House leadership was impressed with the amount and quality of work that Dominion's owners have done in the past.
Dominion Senior Living, founded last year, grew out of the Knoxville-based construction, property development and property management companies founded and owned by Steve Hall. It is a privately owned, faith-based and for-profit company, which surprises some people, said Crisp.
"When they hear we're faith-based, they want to put us in the nonprofit category," he said.
Dominion is not affiliated with a specific denomination.
Dominion Senior Living of Hixson will offer 32 assisted living rooms and 32 memory care rooms, and accommodate 84 total residents.
Construction is slated to start soon and the facility is scheduled to be open by sometime in March of next year.
Contact Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.