Imagine a senior living community where your every need is anticipated, but your independence is fully respected. It’s a place where residents are free to chart their own courses every day, with the comfort of knowing help is not far if needed.

St. Louisans looking for luxury assisted living of this kind will enjoy an exciting new option this fall. McKnight Place Assisted Living, part of The Gatesworth campus, is evolving and expanding to include 90 new apartments.

At the new McKnight Place addition, the typical offerings of assisted living communities, like on-site activities and help with medication, will be taken a step further. Residents will enjoy such high-end amenities as fine dining and a variety of attractive room finishes. The project is a $32 million investment, says The Gatesworth partner and director of operations Bob Leonard, who co-owns The Gatesworth communities with Charles Deutsch and David Smith.

Leonard says the new three-story addition is in response to growing interest in assisted living properties with a wider range of space options. “Some facilities try to be ‘one-size-fits-all’ with their units,” he notes. “We think people are looking for more choices these days.” That’s why four floor plans up to 725 square feet in size will be offered, featuring large bathrooms with high-end finishes, kitchens with granite countertops and cherry cabinets, high ceilings, upscale flooring, crown moldings, individual HVAC controls, gathering spaces on each floor and lots of large windows for natural light. “We’re also adding things like a new theater, chapel, and areas for billiards and playing cards,” Leonard says. Outdoors, there will be walking paths and landscaped courtyard areas with fountains and pergolas.

He notes that while some properties charge residents extra beyond their monthly rent for assistive services, McKnight Place prefers to offer ‘predictable pricing.’ “Rent will start at $7,500 per month for the new units, and it’s all-inclusive,” Leonard says. “Even if your needs change after you move in, the pricing won’t.”

McKnight Place’s new assisted living community is slated to open in October. It was designed by The Lawrence Group and is being built by Gateco Development, The Gatesworth’s construction division. As part of the project, the 45 current assisted living spaces will be renovated into 27 new memory care units that will open in 2018.

“We’re really excited about this new addition,” Leonard says. “We’ve offered assisted living on campus for more than 25 years, and our ownership group even has its offices on-site, so we’re always involved. Those things really set us apart from other communities.”

Pictured: A rendering of the grand entry
Image: David Ruiz Art LLC

The Gatesworth campus at One McKnight Place consists of The Gatesworth, an independent living community; McKnight Place Assisted Living; and McKnight Place Extended Care, a skilled nursing community. For more information, call 314.925.1610 or visit mcknightplace.com.
Cover design provided by The Gatesworth