A new 15-story senior living and memory care community is set to open next year in Manhattan, where assisted living housing is in short supply.
Health care developer Welltower and international real estate firm Hines recently unveiled the first rendering of the 125,000-square-foot property being developed at 139 East 56th Street on the northeast corner of Lexington Avenue and 56th Street in midtown Manhattan. The property, designed by SLCE Architects LLP, will include ground-floor retail.
Located at the intersection of the Midtown East commercial district and the Upper East Side residential district, the building is inspired by classic Park Avenue apartment houses. The primary community spaces on the second floor will include oversized floor-to-ceiling glass windows designed to maintain a close physical connection between the residents and the neighborhood. The residential units begin at the 3rd floor and continue to the 14th floor.
In addition, a variety of other community spaces will be interspersed throughout the building, creating mini neighborhoods on each floor. Generous outdoor living spaces on the 4th, 11th and 15th floors, will provide landscaped terraces and gardens for residents to enjoy throughout the year, creating a safe, multi-sensory environment.
“This Midtown Manhattan development is the first of its kind: a senior living environment that promotes wellness and community with the latest innovations focused on residents’ needs for cognitive engagement, mobility and nutrition,” says Mercedes Kerr, senior vice president of business development at Welltower. “Demographic trends point to significant growth in the New York City’s elderly population over the next decade and the current availability of assisted living is five times less than the national average.”
