The Gardens of Alpena- A New Senior Living Community Proposed in Alpena

The Gardens of Alpena is a new proposed senior living facility that would generate $48 million of local economic growth. “That project appeared on my radar back in 2021, summer. The developer ultimately reached out to me from downstate, pitched the idea to me over the phone. He wondered if any property might be suitable for a project like that. So, he came up here. I showed him around town. Ultimately, I showed him the property that the city owns north of town on US 23. He thought that may be a valuable site for a project like that. 2024 They came back again and this time they were really ready to go,” Economic Development Director for Target Alpena Mike Mahler said. The Gardens of Alpena senior living community would include two buildings housing 128 units total. The first building would be a two-story structure with 68 independent living apartments. And the second building would be a single-story structure, with 60 assisted living and memory care units. “Frankly, there’s a much greater need than what they’re going to fulfill. With 68 independent living units, 30 memory care units, and 30 assisted living units that just scratches the surface of what’s ultimately going to be needed here over the next 20, 25 years,” said Mahler.

This would be the first project of its type,” he said.  Mahler insists this is a move in the right direction for better housing for all age demographics in Alpena. “So, for the seniors who decide to migrate into this project and give up their homes, it frees those homes up for young people that were trying to get to this community to fill jobs, at the hospital as a nurse, policeman or schoolteacher. It frees up potentially homes that those younger couples can pursue which don’t exist right now. To me, this is just one way to help our housing situation be addressed through this action. So that’s why I’m so supportive of it, because it does fill a regional need. There’s a broad need across this entire area, region, community for all types of housing, for first time homebuyers, for you know, workforce housing. We want it all. We want all the housing we can get here. It just so happens that these folks are focused on senior housing. That’s fine. We’ll support their needs. But that doesn’t mean that our priority is to attract senior housing in this community. Our priority is to attract all housing in this community,” Director Mahler said.