Construction Going on Senior Living at Site of Former Tesson Ferry Church

Spectrum Retirement Communities broke ground this month on a new assisted living center at 9712 Tesson Ferry Rd.

The 4.7-acre plot at the intersection with Reavis Road was once the site of Christ Memorial Lutheran Church, which relocated to South Lindbergh Boulevard. The church building was demolished three years ago, and planning began on what will be Southview Assisted Living.

“It’s going to have a residential look to it,” said Ed Heigl, executive director of the Crestview Senior Living facility on Watson Road, Spectrum’s first project in the area. “It’s a very non-institutional look, much like a boutique hotel.”

Heigl said the two-story facility will have 101 units; 68 will be assisted living, and 33 will be what the company calls "memory care." The 77,000 square foot floor plan will feature large common living areas, restaurant-style dining, a memory garden for walking, a fitness center, a theater with surround sound, a salon, a library and a business center.

The $17.5 million facility is scheduled to open in July 2012, Heigl said.

Along with the Crestview facility, which opened in 2008, the Denver-based Spectrum Retirement runs The Homestead of Hickory View in Washington, MO, and has a Westview facility in the works in Ellisville.

Though exact prices have not yet been set, Heigl said that the assisted living units would cost between $2,000 and $4,000 per month, depending on the size of the unit and service package. The memory care units will cost in the ballpark of $5,000 per month.

Memory care combines daily living with therapy to help the elderly preserve their fading memories.

“(One patient) was an attorney. He had a stroke and wasn’t able to speak anymore…with a therapist’s help, he was able to sing,” Heigl said.