“The site was cleared and a retention pond and walking path were built, but the recession slowed the project down,” Kathman told the Journal-News.
Construction on the site kicked off in 2016 and is expected completion in fall 2017, Kathman said. The new project is hoped to serve as a catalyst for more redevelopment in the area.
The planned unit development — or PUD — zoning plan for the area calls for a mixed-use project along the whole northern side of Patterson Drive, between Pleasant Avenue and River Road,
“This multi-story senior housing project is the first phase,” he said. “Future plans include additional senior housing options to the west of this site and new retail and commercial to the east.”
Plans for the site show 11 acres to the west of the apartments proposed for senior patio homes. Planet Fitness is to the east of the site along with 2.5 undeveloped acres.
Kathman said the new project is hoped to serve as a catalyst for more redevelopment in the area.
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Total investment is expected to be approximately $7 million, said Clover Group owner Bill Smith.
“It’s a market for us where we saw some opportunities,” Smith said. “There’s not a lot of good senior housing there, so this is one of the markets that we felt was perfect for our model.”
Founded in 1987 in the suburbs of Buffalo, N.Y., Clover Group has constructed senior communities in Binghamton, Buffalo, Syracuse and Utica, NY, as well as Scranton and Erie, Penn. Besides Fairfield, new locations are in the works in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Clover Group facilities are known for promoting numerous social activities within each site, Smith
“We have events going on every night, activities that are picked by the residents that they want to do,” he said. “We play up the social interaction side and I think we do it better than our competitors.”
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