Senior-living developer planning $45M expansion in Zionsville

IBJ – Indianapolis Business Journal –
By Mason King –
Oct 12, 2016 –

BHI Senior Living, an Indianapolis not-for-profit focused on retirement communities, is planning a $45 million expansion of its Hoosier Village development in Zionsville to appeal to baby boomers.

Named The Oaks at Hoosier Village, the expansion would include 150 duplexes located on the north side of the 300-acre community at 5600 W. 96th St. The average duplex unit is expected to be about 3,000 square feet.

BHI has designed the units with open floor plans, oversized garages, screened porches and optional walkout basements—all amenities that it believes baby boomers desire.

“They want homes and options that duplicate the standard of living they already enjoy,” said John Dattilo, president and CEO of BHI, in a prepared release. “Nobody should have to sacrifice comfort or style simply because they are transitioning in their retirement.”

Construction of the model will begin in November and on the other units next year.

Hoosier Village currently offers a wide spectrum of options for retirees and the elderly, including 96 duplexes, 100 assisted-living apartments, 56 independent-living apartments, 36 memory-care rooms, and a 77-bed nursing center.

BHI began in 1904 as a church-sponsored orphanage called Crawford Baptist Industrial School, on 185 donated acres where Hoosier Village now sits. From 1905 to 1951, more than 1,500 kids called the complex home.

But the property’s use changed after orphans started going to foster homes instead of orphanages, and the number of older adults climbed. In 1951, Crawford Baptist Industrial School became Indiana Baptist Home. The last of the kids were shipped out and the first old folks shipped in.

The last expansion on the Hoosier Village campus totaled $34 million and included the three-story Hawthorn Hall, which opened in 2013 with modern apartments and two restaurants; a Wellness Center with indoor pool, fitness center, spa and art studio; and a free-standing, state-of-the-art memory support center.