Retirement housing in the 21st century is getting a new look, often enriched with so many amenities that some communities might have been mistaken for luxury resorts a few years ago. And with the initial wave of baby boomer retirees set to move in, lifestyles are bound to have a different feel.

Green Valley’s newest independent living community, the Retreat at Santa Rita Springs, is ready to greet seniors.

“We are not only preparing for today’s retirees, but for the next 20 years, as well,” said Debbie Engen, executive director.

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That’s not the case everywhere, she alleges. After working for retirement properties throughout the western United States for more than 10 years, she should know.

“This is one company that has prepared,” she said of the Retreat’s Tucson-based parent firm, Watermark Retirement Communities, which she joined five months ago.

Residents at the Retreat can enjoy its state-of-the-art fitness center, concierge service, a surround-sound movie theater, on-site dining with healthy options, heated pool and outdoor living spaces with fireplaces and barbecue grills. A bar, bistro, computerized business center plus scheduled concerts and an outreach lecture series may especially appeal to the younger retirees.

Aside from the amenities and luxurious feel of the Retreat’s apartments and casitas, beautiful views of the Santa Rita Mountains and the absence of large upfront move-in fees, Engen believes the emphasis on healthy living is what sets this community apart from many others.

“The greatest difference is Watermark and their philosophy of stimulating the mind and challenging the body.” This is carried out through Watermark University - a series of specially designed programs and classes offered at all of the company’s dozen-plus locations nationwide. “We have courses that we change for spring and fall, like a real university,” the director noted.

Daniel Wegener, who recently joined the staff, will be creating the curriculum and assigning instructors.

“We encourage staff and residents to teach,” Engen emphasized. “That’s unique and it makes it interesting. Plus, we draw from the community. There are a lot of retired teachers who live in Green Valley and have been generous with their time.”

Watermark University offerings will be diverse, including spiritual, educational and fun activities. Classes already being enjoyed by residents are balance, yoga, pour and paint, beginning tai chi and water tai chi.

The most successful marketing approach for the Retreat to date, Engen claimed, is simply to bring people through the door. Once there, they glimpse the lifestyle that could be theirs and are excited by the prospects. After that, word of mouth spreads quickly.

Free lunch and happy hour tours held November through January were part of the pre-opening plan to entice lookers. A heavily promoted open house in January with live entertainment by vocalist Joe Bourne, food, cocktails and cooking and fitness demonstrations attracted more than 600 people. Since then, a series of musical events have given the general public further opportunities to view the property.

Engen explained the general thought process of those considering retirement housing.

“When I’m ready to be spoiled rotten and I want someone to clean for me and have fun things to do,” that’s when I’m ready to move, she said. It comes down to people becoming tired of having a house, and they start looking about two years prior to an expected move.

Since the completion in January of the Retreat’s $30 million first phase, nine residents have moved in and another 40 have paid deposits and will be arriving between now and late November. About a third of the residents come from outside Southern Arizona, with particular interest from the Midwest. The company expects to reach full occupancy by early 2011.

At that point, what does a marketing conscious company do to prepare for the future? With a 2 to 3 percent industry standard monthly turnover rate, “You never quit,” Engen said of the marketing efforts. “We’ll always get people to come see the community.” Interested parties will be placed on a waiting list.

Summer is expected to be slow, she acknowledged, and like many Arizona businesses, the Retreat is offering special enticements. One promotion waives $1,000 of the $1,500 one-time administration fee and offers preferred-view units without the usual premium charge and includes a guaranteed two-year rent freeze. A second option offers a complete waiving of the administration fee and one month free rent with a commitment to move in within 60 days. In addition, advertising, which has mostly been on a local scale, will turn to sources outside the area this summer.

Although the Retreat is only a few months old, the addition of services will be an ongoing proposition. The latest news is the June 1 debut of executive chef Joe Zolnierowski from Mountain View Retirement Village in Tucson. And construction of an 86-unit assisted living building will start this summer with a 12-month projected completion schedule.

Retirement communities aren’t the only business entities that should be preparing for the next generation of retirees. But they may be the ones we all look to in our quest for a healthy, fun and innovative lifestyle for years to come. 

Retreat at Santa Rita Springs

661 W. Calle Torres Blancas Road, Green Valley

www.retreatsantarita.com

(520) 399-2792

Christy Kreuger is a Tucson-based freelance writer.