Document text
SOU eyes senior living community on campus By Kevin Opsahl Dec 27, 2022 12:30 AM A A Dormitories may be taken down for a senior living facility on the SOU campus in Ashland. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Visit Southern Oregon University and, depending on the season, it’s not unusual to see students walking to class trying to avoid a lawn sprinkler or an icy patch. But in a few years, they might be able to avoid those slight campus perils when senior citizens donning polo shirts are able to use their golf carts to give the younger generation a lift to their first class of the term. “Really making sure that those students knew there were people here who loved and cared about them,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We could create something really beautiful on campus.” Those are outcomes Bailey has in mind when he talks about a senior living facility proposed to take the place of Cascade Hall, perhaps as soon as 2026. A senior living facility — a growing trend among higher education institutions — could generate dollars for the Ashland institution at a time when it needs them the most. Bailey announced the idea as part of SOU’s “strategic realignment plan.” While some parts of the plan, to be approved by SOU’s Board of Trustees, will involve program cuts that must occur by mid-2024, other aspects of it will take longer. Bailey is the first to admit a senior living facility was not his idea. He said there were rumblings about it among college administration when he began as president back in January. "It was not my idea — I want to be very clear,“ Bailey said. ”This is something the university had been considering for years.“ He mentioned SOU long had the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which “provides older adults with intellectually stimulating courses and social functions,” according to the university’s website. “There already is a very vibrant relationship between the university and senior community members,” Bailey said. But as officials began to look at SOU’s financial picture, it was clear something more was needed. “A wise person once said, ‘You can never cut your way to prosperity,’” Bailey said. “We have to talk about what we’re going to invest in at the same time. I’m very interested in looking at how the university becomes much more entrepreneurial. How do we find avenues for different revenue streams that we’ve never enjoyed before? One is projects like this. This project fits so beautifully into that fiscal plan for many reasons.“ Bailey said he believes the senior living concept contains benefits for both students and people over 55. Aside from the seniors being able to take advantage of things SOU offers — the arts, athletics and courses — it is hoped some could also serve as tutors, mentors and even assist students in obtaining professional opportunities. “The opportunities for those residents, on a volunteer basis, to interact with students and provide support to them, I think that might be the most special part of this project,” Bailey said. He likened the relationship to hospital information kiosks, which often include a senior to help answer people’s questions. “Imagine if we took that concept and we blew it up for a university,” Bailey said. “So now there are hundreds of information desks, but just all over the place.” He believes students would get a lot out of interacting with seniors. “The more our students are exposed to a multitude of backgrounds, diverse perspectives and experiences ... the more useful the takeaways (for them),” Bailey said. “It creates a more fruitful academic environment.” Kendall Engelund, a member of the Ashland Public Arts Commission, doesn’t anticipate moving into the future SOU senior living complex, but he said he likes the idea and thinks it has merit. Engelund added the decision for any senior to move in “has to be at a time in their life when it works for them.” Ed Battistella, a recently retired SOU professor, lives just minutes away from campus and does not anticipate a move, either. But he supports a senior living community, too. “I think if I were coming from somewhere else, it would be an attractive idea to live near a campus — particularly one that had robust academic and cultural programs,” Battistella said. “If I were retiring, say, from the Midwest to get away from the snow, it would be interesting to come to a place where I could learn from academics and others. I’ve always enjoyed visiting other professors’ classes, and I think that would be a fun thing for any retiree to do.” The proposed senior living complex would sit on 5 acres of SOU land currently used for Cascade Hall — used sparingly today for different operations. However, Bailey noted, it is an apt spot for a new building dedicated to senior living, situated next to the OLLI office. Bailey could not provide specifics about the idea because the university still has to solicit proposals and go through the process to choose a company to design the facility. “I’m not an architect; I want to leave that to professionals,” Bailey said. “It has to be an attractive place to live.” Bailey recently traveled to Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, and the University of California-Davis to look at two senior living communities — Mirabella at ASU and University Retirement Community near Davis. Both are tied to Pacific Retirement Services in Medford. In a written statement to the Mail Tribune, PRS said Mirabella at ASU is a model SOU could look toward in planning a senior living facility. “Our community on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus sets a new standard for university-based retirement communities,” PRS stated. “Since opening in 2020, Mirabella at ASU has hosted visitors from all over the country who want to see our innovative project firsthand. PRS is proud to share our experience with universities like SOU and would welcome the opportunity to build on Mirabella’s success.” PRS might be one of the companies in the running to help SOU build a senior living facility, PRS said. “If SOU decided to issue an RFP for a senior living project, we would certainly take a look at it if invited,” said Sarah Lynch, vice president of administration at PRS. “One thing we'd consider is how the project could affect Rogue Valley Manor. If our board felt it was a good fit, we would look forward to the opportunity to submit a proposal and let the process play out.” Off campus, people who work with seniors seem supportive of SOU’s proposal. Isleen Glatt, who serves as superintendent of Ashland Senior Services, said the project could help fill the affordable housing gap for many seniors in the community. “If this new project can make more housing available that is constructed with universal design for accessibility, right-sized for retired singles and couples and affordable, that would be a great contribution to the community,” Glatt wrote in an email. “It would be even better if this project added to the stock of low-income, subsidized senior housing.” Engelund agreed the proposed SOU senior living community could “add to the base of housing” in Ashland, but he also wondered whether the units would be subsidized. Subsidizing is not only a factor when it comes to senior living, but wait lists are, too, according to Glatt and others who spoke with the Mail Tribune. Ashley Senior Center Apartments, at 2301 Siskiyou Blvd., has a wait list, according to Eddith Zamorez, the apartment property manager. That complex has 62 units — two of them contain three bedrooms while the rest have one. The complex contains mostly seniors, who can live independently or accept caregivers if they pay for it. Lately, Zamorez said, the waiting list has hovered around 100 people — though she noted that number is not as big as it was in the late summer and early fall 2020, during the aftermath of the Almeda Fire. These days, the apartment has gotten some callbacks from seniors saying they’re not interested in moving in because they say they’ve decided to stay home. Zamorez blames those decisions on COVID-19. She considers Ashley Senior Center Apartments part of Ashland’s senior living community — and wouldn’t mind if SOU became part of its fabric. “I think it’s a great idea,” Zamorez said. “Instead of just people on our wait list, they will have another option. It would bring a lot of joy to a lot of people.” Reach reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevJourno.