New Rochester apartment complex will offer amenities for adults seeking an active lifestyle
A new housing development along the bustling northwest corridor of Rochester promises to offer a new standard of living for individuals 55 and better.
Forté Living will begin welcoming new residents on August 1. The project is located just west of West Circle Drive and within walking distance to Hy-Vee and the Douglas Trail.
Artist rendering of the backside of Forté Living
Once complete, the housing facility will offer studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, along with a host of amenities, including an indoor/outdoor dog park, movie theater, grilling area, bocce ball court, state-of-the-art fitness facility, library, telemedicine room, community dining space, and an area for gardening.
It’s a first-of-its-kind concept for the Stencil Group — aimed at providing an active lifestyle for individuals at the tail end of their careers or entering retirement.
“This isn’t a retirement community. This is an active adult community,” says Shane Weber, Chief Business Officer of Stencil Group, the developer of the project. “This is a place for people to come, stay active, meet their neighbors, get involved. And, of course, if they want their privacy, they have their own apartments where they can spend their evenings.”
Weber says the idea for the project has been churning in their heads for some time, adding that the decision to pilot the concept in Rochester was an easy one. Stencil has been active in the Rochester market for years now and, as he puts, “we just love the city.”
With Baby Boomers at or entering the retirement age, he believes there is a strong demand for housing where people can continue to enjoy camaraderie and a sense of community, all while not having to deal with the hassles of owning a single-family home.
“We had a vision in this market to create some housing for active adults who are maybe tired of the work that goes into owning a home - the shoveling, the mowing, they just don’t want to do it anymore,” he explains. “They want to focus on having fun.”
Inside the apartments themselves, Weber says the goal was to make the units feel warm and spacious. “A lot of work has gone into ensuring these apartments feel homey,” he adds.
Providing a price point people can afford was also a high priority for the Stencil Group. In addition to competitively-priced market-rate apartments, Forté Living will also offer income-adjusted units to qualified tenants.
The first phase of the project, set to be completed this summer, will include 127 units. Construction on an identical second building will be done sometime in 2023. In all, Stencil is planning to build four total phases, with the goal of reaching 500 units.
To learn more about Forté Living, including floor plans and pricing info, visit this link.
