Community leaders celebrate Chartiers Bend groundbreaking in South Fayette
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Community leaders and Resort Lifestyle Communities representatives celebrate the groundbreaking of Chartiers Bend, a new senior living community coming to South Fayette Township.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Mandi Pryor, South West Communities Chamber of Commerce executive director.
A new senior living community is about a year-and-a-half away from opening in South Fayette.
Chartiers Bend, a Resort Lifestyle Communities senior living facility, held a groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 24 to celebrate with business and community leaders.
The new senior living community in Hastings, located at 1000 Hastings Park Drive, will take 12-18 months once construction begins, according to Kelly Jo Hinrichs, director of sales and marketing at RLC.
During the groundbreaking, which was held at the Upper St. Clair Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park due to weather concerns, Hinrichs told an audience of 75-plus that RLC is excited to build its 34th community in South Fayette – the first in Pennsylvania for the Lincoln, Neb., company.
“I look around the room, and there is a sense of pride that radiates here,” Hinrichs said. “We’re happy to be here, and we’re grateful to be a part of it.”
Hinrichs added that RLC decided to place a community in South Fayette because of the high residential community and the trend of senior citizens wanting to stay in their communities for retirement.
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Kelly Jo Hinrichs, director of sales and marketing at Resort Lifestyle Communities.
“We chose this community because your seniors love it here,” she said. “There’s an incredible trend where more seniors are looking to retire in their home because they’re comfortable there.”
The new facility will also create 35-45 full- and part-time jobs to the community, Hinrichs said.
“We’re going to hire local,” she said. “We know your community has talent and we want to put that talent to work and develop that talent so those individuals can become part of our leadership team.”
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Jacob Calvin Meyer/The Almanac
Andrea Iglar, South Fayette Township community development director.
Following Hinrichs, a half dozen community leaders spoke to the audience. Andrea Iglar, South Fayette Township community development director, said Chartiers Bend is “progress” for commercial development in the township.
“The township is pleased to have (Resort Lifestyle Communities) join our business community,” Iglar said. “We definitely enjoy seeing progress on the business front in South Fayette Township, so we appreciate everyone’s efforts on that end.”
Diana Irey Vaughan, Washington County commissioner, said Chartiers Bend is a “gift” to the community and the region.
Rebecca Sray, South Fayette commissioner, Mandi Pryor, South West Chamber of Commerce executive director, and Greg Anderson, South Hills Chamber of Commerce board member, also spoke at the groundbreaking.
At Chartiers Bend, residents will pay a monthly fee for a long, all-inclusive list of services, including meals, scheduled events, a movie theater, housekeeping, transportation and all utilities. A studio apartment will be $2,900 a month, while a one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment will be $2,950, $3,950 and $4,800, respectively.
Hinrichs said the movie theater has 150 seats and is open to the community for free.
Chartiers Bend will schedule events in the community for its residents, but it will also welcome community members to the facility for events as well.
“What we want to do is to make sure when the seniors retire at home that they can continue to engage in the organizations and community at large,” Hinrichs said. “They care, and that’s why they decided to retire in the area.”
Hinrichs said Chartiers Bend is about providing senior citizens “choice and flexibility.”
“We want our seniors to have everything available at their fingertips in the community,” she said.