Courtesy The Summitt at Halfmoon
By Susan Elise Campbell
On Friday October 27th, The Summit celebrated the Grand Opening of its fifth and newest location offering independent living for seniors aged 55 or older. According to Jen Nelligan, director of community operations, BBL Construction broke ground just over a year ago, and while residents won’t begin to move in until the 20th of this month, occupancy is already at a pre-leasing commitment rate of 80 percent.
“We are moving in a record number of people in November,” said Nelligan.
None had yet stepped foot into the new facility upon signing on the dotted line, but any who visited one of the other four locations would have “seen the quality of The Summit. The other buildings are models” for Halfmoon or any other location the profit-making company may construct in the future, she said. “Quality is part of our brand.”
Nelligan said the success of an independent living community is the location.
“Halfmoon is a huge and growing area with many conveniences and amenities on Route 9,” she said.
Seniors already living in the area can “maintain the familiar” and continue to go to their own bank, doctor and post office, which Nelligan said is very important to many.
“It’s very common to pull in residents from a close radius, and many are being drawn by family to return to the area,” she said.
Probably one-quarter of the residents are relocating from outside the Capital District, according to Nelligan.
The Summit is characterized as “a 55+ active adult community with stand-alone independent living” and no provisions for assisting living.
“Enhancing independence is our mission,” Nelligan said. “Our residents can come and go as they wish without worrying about lawn care or shoveling snow.”
“We look at trends across the country and there are many options in independent living,” said Nelligan. “These residences may be called many things, but The Summit is for active adults.”
“Active adults are a growing segment for housing in the Capital District,” she said.
“The Summit provides safety and security, but also fun things,” she said. “There are endless possibilities for socialization, fitness, and learning.”
Each resident has a comfortable apartment with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and a balcony or patio, according to Nelligan.
“But every inch of the facility is an extension of the resident’s home,” she said.
Everything is under one roof: the library, chapel, salon, movie theater, lounge, indoor pool, private dining room, and more, all included in the monthly rent along with daily continental breakfast, she said.
Through a comprehensive program called Connected Life, residents are able to choose activities according to their personal tastes and abilities.
Nelligan said every independent living facility offers some degree of programming, but that Connected Life “creates a sense of community that begins in the morning and can be tailored to each Summit location.”
For example, one location may have a lot of interest in knitting or crafting while another enjoys museums and the theater. There is no fee for fitness classes, happy hours, group discussions and other activities, but there would be an added cost for admissions or tickets, she said.
At times the different Summit facilities “join forces to fill a big charter bus” for such excursions as going to the Bronx Zoo or New York’s botanical gardens, as they have in the past.
There is a Summer Bocce Ball Tournament hosted at one of the locations and whoever wins that year is host to the games the following year.
“In 2024 we will now add a fifth team,” said Nelligan.
“A big piece of active senior living is wellness,” she said. “At all our locations we conduct 40 to 50 fitness classes per month, which are good for the body, mind and soul.”
Nelligan said that whenever someone joins a Summit community, “it is an honor to be chosen.”
“The family of communities works together to provide what the residents want, and they want to stay in their apartments at The Summit,” she said. “All locations operate full and there is only an occasional opening.”
The new Halfmoon location is “a gorgeous building in the heart of the town” that fills a gap between the facilities in Milton and Glenville, said Nelligan.
Rates at The Summit Halfmoon are at the higher end of the market, according to Nelligan, or between $2,385 and $3,715 per month. There are 110 units with one or two bedrooms and rent includes all utilities, maintenance and storage. Garage space is extra.
The October 27th opening was at 10:30 a.m. and attended by partners at The Summit, representatives from the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, BBL Construction and NBT Bank, local officials, and several residents.
Go to summitseniorlife.com for more information.