For many people approaching their senior years, active-senior housing is a better alternative to maintaining a large home and yard.
A new 55-plus community is currently being built on Springfield's west side. Westgate Patio Homes offers duplexes with garages separating units. Owner and real estate broker Kyle Killebrew said his idea to build homes for active seniors came from seeing people move out of Springfield due to a lack of available housing.
"I built these because most of my clients who are selling their houses are on waiting lists (for other senior housing), he said."
Westgate broke ground in July 2024 and a total of 20 units are being built. Seven units are already finished and occupied, with another six reserved and waiting for construction to be complete. Killebrew expects the remaining homes to be finished within 90 days.
Zane Zaubi said a similar motive was the impetus behind Seasons, two active senior living complexes also on Springfield's west side that were built by his parents, Steve and Kim Zaubi.
"My dad had been involved in a couple other senior housing developments," said Zaubi. "He decided that there was a need for independent senior living here in Springfield."
Seasons at Pine Creek was built in 2005 and, due to demand, Seasons Under the Oaks followed in 2009.
Both Seasons' complexes are built with community in mind. Instead of individual houses or duplexes, the units are condominiums with common rooms for residents to easily engage in community activities.
"Here you have the best of both worlds. You have privacy, but you have friends and neighbors," said Zaubi. "It's just a walk down the hall to the common areas to join in Tuesday morning Mel-O-Cream doughnuts, happy hours or watching the football game. Whatever their thing may be, there's a group with a similar interest meeting in common areas. It's easy to have social interaction."
Zaubi was a pre-teen when Seasons at Pine Creek was built and helped out with sweeping the floors amidst the new construction. Eventually, he graduated to doing landscaping as a teen, and now operates both buildings along with his family. Zaubi said he and his family "take a lot of pride in being available to anybody and everybody" at Seasons.
With 60 units for lease in each development, Seasons is aimed at active-senior living, but it is also completely accessible. Supportive services such as personal in-home care, car service or grocery delivery are available.
Sangamon County is aging, with over a third of the population now 55 or older, according to statistics from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau provided by the Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission. The median age has risen to over 40 for the first time, having been a decade younger in the 1980 U.S. Census. As such, demand has risen for housing to fit the needs of seniors.
One bit of advice both Killebrew and Zaubi emphasize is the need to plan ahead before putting transition plans into action. Depending on the desire for a specific floor plan, Zaubi said that the waiting list at Seasons can take up to three years. He suggests that if people are considering moving to a senior-living complex that they take a tour first and get a plan in place so they aren't overwhelmed by the process.
"Do things little by little," said Zaubi. "It's a lot to make that move, to downsize or come from a home with a lot of belongings."
While selling a home is a common way to start a transition, Killebrew advises people to have their end plan in place before putting their home on the market.
"When people choose to move to these (senior living) places, it's based off of need, sometimes an urgent need. We don't have enough housing for people," he said.
While Killebrew has a handful of units that are not yet leased, he anticipates it likely will not take long for Westgate to have a substantial waiting list also, given the demand for senior housing in Springfield,
Zaubi said that while his family does own property that is zoned for a third phase of development, that project has been put on hold due to the desire to maintain a high level of resident satisfaction.
"We're a mom-and-pop operation, and we don't do anything lightly – we do it wholeheartedly. We're not at the point of building another one right now," Zaubi said. "We have such a close connection with those who live with us at both buildings, I don't want to overextend myself where it takes away from folks who have entrusted us to live here."
Carey Smith is now thinking about her own needs as she ages, finding herself surprisingly close to being a senior.
