Patch planning symbiotic senior living in Westfield

Patch Development’s first independent senior apartment project is intentionally adjacent to assisted living.

Pat Chittenden, a former partner with Ambrose Property Group, sold his share of the company and started Westfield-based Patch Development in May of last year. Patch Development’s latest project, estimated to cost up to $6 million, will bring four buildings with a total 27 apartments to the vacant lot immediately west of Sanders Glen Assisted Living, at 334 S. Cherry St, in Westfield.

“The idea of being right next to a senior living facility is so that our tenants can go next door, participate in the activities, meet friends, get a meal. It’s a lot of synergies,” Chittenden said. “Westfield doesn’t have anything like this in the whole community.”

Patch Development has mostly dealt in a half-dozen office and warehouse acquisitions since its inception, but it’s moving toward familiar ground with The Cottages at Sanders Glen. Chittenden said two of Patch Development’s team members, Keith Hoener and Andrew Greenwood, have backgrounds in developing senior living.

“This is not out of the realm for them at all. They’ve done probably hundreds of units like this,” Chittenden said.

Though Sanders Glen offers seniors 55-and-older housing and wraparound services, the Cottages development will not be age restricted and will not offer programming.

But the homes with low-barrier showers and other accessibility features will be marketed to seniors who may eventually make the transition to moving into assisted living facilities.

Chittenden said he’s finalizing an agreement with Sanders Glen Assisted Living, an Exceptional Living Centers community, to offer residents of the Cottages á la carte access to the senior community’s enrichment activities and other services.

Floorplans for the Cottages will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with garages. Chittenden said the location is especially beneficial for those active seniors who want to jump on the Midland Trail, which crosses the property, and will ultimately connect to Grand Junction Plaza in downtown Westfield.

Chittenden wasn’t ready to reveal pricing for the units. “We want these to be high-quality, residential living focused on seniors, yet reasonably priced,” he said. “We’re not going to be the top of the market, we’re not going to be the bottom of the market, from a pricing perspective.”