Arcadia at Sewanee Engages ARCH Consultants

Arcadia at Sewanee, the not-for-profit organization working to establish a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Sewanee, has engaged ARCH Consultants, Ltd., of Chicago to assess the feasibility of developing independent living, assisted living, and memory care units on a 13.2-acre site between Alabama Avenue and Kennerly Road.  

Over the past 18 months, Arcadia at Sewanee has been very active in its effort to fulfill its mission: “To serve older adults in a residential living community with services that: encourage active, healthy living; respect each individual's dignity, rights and independence; value ongoing educational, artistic and community service offerings; and offer opportunities for intergenerational relationships.”

Highlights Include the Following:

• In the Spring of 2022, Arcadia introduced Blakeford Senior Life’s aging-in-place program, LiveWell on the Mountain, to the Sewanee and Monteagle communities.  The program was officially launched in November 2022 with the enrollment of ten community members, and it continues to expand membership.

• In a parallel effort, Arcadia engaged ProMatura, a nationally recognized firm, to perform a survey to gauge the demand for a CCRC in Sewanee.  The results, which were made available in early 2023, revealed strong interest from alumni and area residents that led ProMatura to recommend that Arcadia pursue this effort, contact a developer, and seek financing.

• Over the course of the summer of 2023, Arcadia Board members met with Blakeford Senior Life executives and with representatives of HJ Sims, an investment banking firm actively involved in financing retirement facilities, to discuss the results of the survey and steps to be taken to maximize the success of such a development.

• Concurrently Arcadia engaged the services an engineering consultant to determine the suitability of three potential sites for a retirement facility.  Two of the three sites were found to be suitable.

• Meetings with HJ Sims and Blakeford also led Arcadia to engage the services of ARCH Consultants of Chicago, IL, to evaluate the Alabama Avenue site and recommend a plan for its development. ARCH Consultants works primarily with faith-based CCRC’s and has worked jointly with HJ Sims on several projects.

• Conclusions drawn to date by Arcadia’s Board of Directors include:

  • The demand from area residents, current and retired University staff, and from University alumni, warrant the continued effort to develop a CCRC in Sewanee.

  • Feedback from consultants, primarily HJ Sims, indicates that the project should not be overly reliant on alumni relocating to Sewanee for their retirement years:  it should be driven primarily by local area demand.

  • Pricing of the retirement units should be commensurate with real estate prices in the area, not higher.

  • Support and involvement from the University is very important.

  • A multigenerational facility should be considered.

  • The CCRC should be built with convenient access to the University campus and to the Village.

  • To minimize the financial risk associated with the development of a CCRC, the project should be phased in accordance with a master plan that would first include the development of independent living units tied to Sewanee’s unique setting. Later phases would entail the development of assisted living and memory care facilities.

  • The envisioned CCRC would be an economically diverse community.

Next Steps:

• ARCH Consultants will take about 3-4 months to develop their recommendations.

• They will focus their effort on a 13.2-acre site between Alabama Avenue and Kennerly Road.  This is not the only possible site but, as of now, it seems to be the one best suited for consideration because of existing infrastructure, access to campus via roads and the new Heritage Trail, proximity to the Village (including the possibility of a walking bridge), and ease of access from Highway 41-A.

• Costs: Arcadia has covered the costs for all the above efforts, and it has raised sufficient funds to cover the initial ARCH Consultants fee.  Arcadia anticipates that, based on the ARCH Consultants’ conclusions, it will have to raise additional contributions and arrange long-term financing for the project.

• Arcadia Board members and ARCH Consultants representatives will work closely with the University, neighboring leaseholders, and the community at large in developing these plans. Of vital importance is the relationship with the St. Mark’s Community to preserve its identity and significance to Sewanee.