This article was written by Doug Calsbeek for the Vibrant Orange City Magazine published by Pluim Publishing.
Don’t call them “old.” A better description for the 55-plus population is “young seniors.” And, a good number of that group is interested in alternatives to “aging in place” prior to “assisted living.”
Orange City Area Health Foundation is nearing completion of Kanaal Huis, a community housing setting designed for folks seeking to move from a single-family home to a setting with fewer demands for property care and maintenance, a living arrangement for retirees that offers independence, an active lifestyle and opportunities to foster community, connections, safety, security, and relationships.
Senior living options have long been an emphasis of the health system foundation. Kanaal Huis adds to the choices available, along with independent and assisted living at Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community and Prairie Ridge Care Center, a skilled nursing facility.
Kanaal Huis, which will be complete in December, houses 36 units, four of them one-bedroom spaces, four more one-bedroom with a den and 28 more two-bedroom living areas.
“Sales and interest are progressing,” said Oraneg City Area Health System Chief Executive Officer Marty Guthmiller. “We are anxious for the finishing touches to be completed in order for people to actually see the final product as opposed to only hearing about it.”
The addition of Kanaal Huis extends the Orange City Area Health System’s goal of extending the continuum of senior living and care by encouraging an active life to reduce the need for more advanced care and allowing residents priority placement if the need for advanced care arises. The foundation also sees the benefits of opening up single-family homes sorely needed in the area.
Each unit comes with a 28-foot-deep heated garage on a first-come, first-served basis, with a storage space. Parking is also available outside.
Costs range from $259,000 for 863-square-foot one-bedroom units to $289,000 for the 1,101-square-foot two-bedroom areas. Purchase is age-restricted. One resident must meet the 55-plus requirement to purchase a unit. Owners purchase occupancy rights and are responsible for property taxes and upkeep of the unit. The city of Orange City offers incentives for five years for residents who purchase at the building’s completion.
Kanaal Huis is situated near the hospital campus in the northwestern corner of The Canals, a joint project with the foundation and Vision Builders, located just south of the Puddle Jumper Trail and adjacent to the new MOC-Floyd Valley Elementary School and Orange City’s Gelderland Addition. The 20-acre development will also include lots for single-family homes and twin homes built by Vision Builders. Trails are also planned to link Kanaal Huis and the Canals to the city’s existing system.
“We are still on schedule for a December 1 occupancy,” Guthmiller said, “We remain convinced that this will be a lifestyle widely embraced by those choosing to live at Kanaal Hiuis. We will soon be getting information out that will show and compare living in one’s home to the total cost of living at Kanaal Huis. we think it will surprise people how affordable Kanaal Huis truly is. We encourage people to take a closer look by contacting Ryan Warnke and doing a deep dive into const comparison and scenarios.”
For more information or to tour a unity, contact Warnke, OCAHS director of ancillary services by email at Ryan.Warnke@ochealthsystem.org
