First-of-its kind senior community in Victoria offers joyous and inclusive living with state-of-the-art villas and apartments
Victoria, Minn. – A new housing community in Victoria, Minnesota is the first of its kind in the U.S. and is now accepting residence applications. AbleLight Village Victoria, at 1519 82nd St., Victoria, MN, is a Christian community offering “joyous living” with state-of-the-art apartment homes and villas to adults 55+ and independent adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The community will open its doors Sept.1.
“This beautiful housing community celebrates independence and brings people together in a fulfilling, comfortable lifestyle,” said Tom Campbell, Bethesda’s vice president of real estate. “Both seniors and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities struggle to find high-quality, accessible housing in nice neighborhoods. AbleLight Village Victoria meets those needs and delivers so much more.”
AbleLight Village Victoria consists of a total of 52 homes: 37 apartment homes and 15 villa homes. Up to twenty percent of the residences will serve people with a disability who live independently. The goal of the new development is to offer accessible, high-quality housing while encouraging independent living and fostering connections among residents.
“Our belief is the strongest communities are inclusive and create an environment where everyone is welcome,” said Campbell. “We are creating spaces where more people can enjoy the area, and we feel blessed to have found broad support among our neighbors, city leaders and other stakeholders for this project.”
AbleLight intends to expand the inclusive living concept by building additional AbleLight Village locations in clusters around major U.S. cities. Two additional villages are being considered for the Twin Cities area.
“We are reviewing sites in Brooklyn Park and Oakdale now,” said Campbell, “and we plan to expand AbleLight Village developments across the country. Each will be tailored to the needs and demographics of their communities.”
AbleLight is a 115-year-old, national Christian organization, providing homes and other services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization has numerous locations in Minnesota. Bethesda’s Minnesota operations are based in Victoria and its history with Victoria goes back nearly 50 years.
AbleLight Village is a trusted partner with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, which provided the financing of this inclusive housing community.
The project’s architect is New York-based QPK Design, and the construction manager is Kraus-Anderson, one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers.
“The project features state-of-the art smart home technology, including fiber interlink for the entire campus, wireless access points, and smart thermostats, light switches, doorbells and garage door openers,” said Aaron Zabel, Kraus-Anderson’s project manager. “All the rooms have universal design concepts, such as low-threshold showers, bathroom grab bars, larger units for wheelchairs and large pocket door handles for those with dexterity issues. In addition, we installed numerous safety and security measures, including a robust common area camera system, access control and smart unit deadbolts.”
AbleLight Village Victoria residences are luxuriously appointed, with features including granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, in-unit laundry, soundproofing and patios or balconies. Residences are built to accommodate evolving needs as residents age, and offer maximum accessibility with features including walk-in showers, pocket doors and wide doorways to easily accommodate walkers and wheelchairs. The villas homes have attached one- or two-car garages and the apartment home building features an underground parking garage for easy access in any weather.
Leisure activities at AbleLight Village Victoria are made easy with a beautiful community center that features lots of natural light, plenty of space to gather with friends and organized learning sessions like cooking classes, Bible studies, fitness activities, and wellness activities. The state-of-the-art fitness center offers an array of exercise machines and classes.
Bethesda will host responsible grand opening events on September 24 featuring both in-person and virtual options because of COVID-19. Events will include a ribbon cutting, laying of the cornerstone and burying a time capsule.
Please visit ablelightvillage.org for more details, or contact Leasing and Program Manager Julie Hughes at 920-567-8216.
About AbleLight
AbleLight is a national leader in pioneering life-changing services that empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to thrive. Founded in 1904 in Wisconsin as a Christian mission, AbleLight promotes independence and inclusion across the U.S. through comprehensive and individualized supports that include housing, employment, spiritual life and much more. For details, go to AbleLight.org, like our Facebook page and follow us on LinkedIn.