Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senior Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer proposes 425-unit senior living community at 700 Professional Drive; council and planning commission keep record open
Summary
WorldSHINE Group presented a sketch plan (SK 103612026) to redevelop 700 Professional Drive into a senior living community of up to 425 age‑restricted units with a continuum of care and roughly 580,219 sq ft of commercial space; the Planning Commission and City Council voted to hold the public record open for further review.
WorldSHINE Group told the mayor and city council on July 6 that it plans to redevelop 700 Professional Drive into a mixed‑use senior living community that could include up to 425 age‑restricted units and about 580,219 square feet of commercial space, with building heights up to 12 stories and a phased plan centered on a full continuum of care.
At a joint public hearing with the Planning Commission, Stuart Barr, an attorney with Lerch Hurley & Brewer, introduced the applicant team and said the company intends to keep the existing adult medical day center on the site while reserving the option to add density in future phases. "With more supply comes more affordability," Barr said, framing senior living as both an unmet need and a potential tool for keeping older residents in the community.
Janet Meyer, principal at BCT Design Group, described a three‑block concept with independent living, assisted living — including memory care — and common amenity spaces. Meyer said the team envisions a hospitality‑style model focused on social and wellness spaces and is proposing a mix that emphasizes independent living with roughly 30% of units meeting assisted‑living needs.
Becky Jha, vice president of development for WorldSHINE, described the on‑site adult medical day program that already operates in the existing two‑story building: an on‑site nurse, activity and transportation services, and on‑site meals for attendees. Jha said WorldSHINE would make tours available of its existing facility at the 700 site.
Planning commissioners asked whether the medical facility is affiliated with regional health systems and pressed the applicant on the sketch plan's stated flexibility. Commissioner Phil asked whether the sketch plan's broad language could permit non‑senior, higher‑density commercial or luxury residential development in the future; the applicant acknowledged the sketch plan allows flexibility but said their current vision is senior housing and that the parties are open to narrowing permitted uses in later review if the city prefers.
Planning staff recommended holding the Planning Commission record open until 5 p.m. on July 30, 2026, with a recommendation to the mayor and council tentatively scheduled for Aug. 5, 2026. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to hold the record open. The mayor and council voted to hold the council record open (motion carried 3–0) with anticipated further policy discussion in September as part of the city's master‑plan update process.
The planning process will move next to schematic development and final site plan review, at which point specific uses, phasing, building heights and design details will be tested against MXD zone requirements and the city's master plan. The Planning Commission and council noted pedestrian connectivity, compatibility with neighboring uses, and safety for assisted residents walking to nearby amenities as issues they want addressed in subsequent submittals.
Action: The Planning Commission voted to hold the record open through 5 p.m. on July 30, 2026; the mayor and council voted to hold the city record open through Aug. 20, 2026 (motion carried 3–0).
