Elm Ridge Senior Living Breaks Ground in Hazelwood, Missouri

On Friday, May 20^th Roanoke Construction, The Oakland Group, The Unicorn Group, LLC, and BTWF Urban Initiative broke ground on Elm Ridge Senior Living, a mixed-income, independent senior living community on Dunn Road in Hazelwood, Missouri. Subcontractors, architects, engineers, investors, and local elected officials joined the ownership and development team to celebrate this project, believed to be the first of its kind in Hazelwood.

Once complete, the building will provide 50 apartments for seniors 55 years of age and older. Each of the 36 two-bedroom and 14 one-bedroom units will have in-unit laundry hookups and a fully equipped kitchen. Three units are fully accessible, and 2 units are accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. The project will meet Enterprise Green Communities specifications for energy efficiency, which will lower utility costs for residents. Amenities will include an onsite management office, an elevator, secured access, a computer and technology center, a fitness center with exercise equipment, a community room with a kitchen on the first floor and additional community space on the upper floors. Forty-five of the units will be restricted to households at or below 60% of the area median income. The remaining 5 units will be available to households of any income.

“Not only will this development bring beautiful – and affordable – new apartment homes for Hazelwood seniors,” says Marvin Steele, “but also the development team is achieving something really tremendous with nearly $5.4 million dollars (60%) in contracts with minority and women-owned businesses including two stalwarts, BAM Contracting and Aschinger Electric.”  Steele continued, “Bishop Scott and I specifically partner with the principals of Roanoke Construction and The Oakland Group – Kevin Buchek and Mike Duffy – because of their commitment to hiring contractors and their staff who reflect the rich diversity of the communities in which they build.”

The Unicorn Group, LLC focuses on promoting the utilization of minority-owned and women-owned companies and is owned by Marvin Steele, the Board Chairman of the Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce. The Unicorn Group, LLC is also an emerging residential and commercial developer.

BTWF Urban Initiative was founded in 2002 to mobilize members of the Believers Temple Word Fellowship Church to meet the practical needs of households in North St. Louis County through comprehensive programs, services, and events. Since its inception, BTWF has focused on education, healthy living, and community and economic development.

This new development is made possible by Missouri Housing Development Commission, St. Louis Equity Fund, Sugar Creek Capital, Legacy Bank and Trust, Rosemann & Associates, KH Engineering Group, Grimes Consulting, and Custom Engineering. Support from the City of Hazelwood has also been critical to this project.

Elm Ridge Senior Living is slated to open its doors in Spring 2023.