In this file photograph from 2013, Finn Bille, from left, Sue Reynolds, Jay Ku, Jeanne Bille and Charles Hughes discuss their plans for senior co-housing complex.Welcome to Chattanooga's Southside: Home of trendy bars, popular music venues, and a new model for aging in place.
Several Chattanooga couples have purchased property in the up-and-coming neighborhood with plans to build a small, interdependent senior housing community they hope will help them avoid institutional care as they grow older.
The group, which calls itself Chattanooga Collaborative Senior Housing, announced plans to create such a complex last year. Their model is based on the idea of "co-housing," where people live in neighborhoods or buildings designed to foster close-knit communities.
Early this fall, the group bought land at 1511 Washington St., formed a small development company to create the building, and now is selecting architects to draft a sustainably designed, small condominium-style building on the site.
The design will include personal, 400-to-1,000-square-foot, suite-style apartments for each couple, but they will share common space such as the kitchen, laundry and guest bedrooms.
The design forces interaction, which is part of the goal, the group's members say. They want to age in a social, familylike environment without burdening their families. The group also plans one day to hire staff members to help with housekeeping, driving or other needs.
The other factor that makes this model distinct is that, unlike most retirement facilities, residents own the complex and control all operations. All big decisions are consensus-driven.
"What we desire is to not have our lives, diets and activities determined by a corporation," said group member and retired attorney Jay Ku. "This is self-control of our lives."
The co-housing movement began in Denmark and spread to the U.S. in the 1980s. In a 2011 report, the AARP found that five senior co-housing complexes had been established in the U.S., with 15 more in the works. Intergenerational co-housing neighborhoods have popped up recently in Nashville.
"We have seen a lot of interest in this idea, but it is still a very new idea to folks," said member Sandra Kurtz. "That is why we're wanting to model it for this community."
Four Chattanooga couples now are involved in the effort, and the group is still looking for more seniors -- ages 55 and up -- to join them.
The estimated buy-in per unit is $250,000 to $350,000, and monthly fees could run from $500 to $1,000 to cover utilities, staff, taxes and insurance. Kurtz said this is within the price range for many condos downtown, but the co-housing project will be a "condominium with assets."
Kurtz said the Southside is the ideal location for the plugged-in, social lifestyle the group's members want. A quick walk, bike or bus ride can link them to coffeeshops, parks, grocery stores and other downtown attractions.
They hope to start construction on the site sometime next year.
"It is a bit of a long-range plan, but we are seniors -- so we don't want to wait forever," laughed Kurtz.
Contact staff writer Kate Harrison Belz at kbelz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.