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Shown is the lobby at Army Residence Community in San Antonio. The Northeast Side retirement community has opened its doors to the general public.<\/p>\n
Salgu Wissmath\/Contributor<\/p>\n
Residents of the Army Residence Community can design their own independent living apartments with the community\u2019s in-house design team.<\/p>\n
Army Residence Community<\/p>\n
For the first time in its 39-year history, the\u00a0Army Residence Community<\/a> has opened its doors to the general public.<\/p>\n Seniors 62 years and older can now join the growing\u00a0waitlist for Texas\u2019 largest individually owned, single-site retirement community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe have all been preparing for what has been called this \u2018silver tsunami,\u2019 or aging baby boomers, who are now either fully into their retirement years or just entering into them,\u201d said Terry Jackson, ARC\u2019s director of marketing. \u201cThere is a strong need for those seniors to have their needs met, both socially and physically, and more and more people are looking for a one-stop shop, like ours.\u201d<\/p>\n ARC, located at 7400\u00a0Crestway Road on the Northeast Side of San Antonio, was founded in 1987 by a group of retired Army generals to serve senior career military officers. It later extended eligibility to all veterans and retired federal civil employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n The latest expansion of the eligible resident base will help \u201cmake sure we\u2019re sustainable and viable well into the future,\u201d even as the number of veterans declines, CEO Steve Fuller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n San Antonio Express News Logo<\/p>\n Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE: Coast Guard couple picks San Antonio senior high-rise to age in place<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lifelong community\u00a0<\/p>\n Many retirement communities are categorized based on the level of care they offer. ARC was built so residents could age in place. If one spouse needs extra assistance, a couple doesn\u2019t have to move to another facility; they can access that care on the same campus.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had a pretty dramatic increase in inquiries since the eligibility expansion, so I would say, \u2018Jump in, the water\u2019s fine,\u2019\u201d Fuller\u00a0said. \u201cWe\u2019ve asked residents to help pick their neighbors and family who weren\u2019t previously eligible.\u201d<\/p>\n The 138-acre campus\u00a0features 450 apartments and cottages for independent living, 78 assisted living apartments and a 91-bed nursing unit. Currently, the community has about 750 residents and is\u00a0about\u00a090% occupied.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Members pay an entrance deposit upon moving in, as well as a monthly service fee that covers a meal plan, access to activities and amenities and weekly housekeeping. Over the last 10 years, fees have increased about 4% annually on average.<\/p>\n MORE VETERAN NEWS:\u00a0Bexar County commissioners OK land donation for state-run veterans home<\/a><\/p>\n Fuller said ARC has an online retirement calculator that helps interested seniors calculate what type of housing they qualify for, and many use the proceeds from the sale of their former home for their deposit.<\/p>\n \u201cThe entrance deposit guarantees them a place for the rest of their lives, whether they need independent, assisted living or health care,\u201d Jackson added. \u201cWhen they would move on to those next levels of care, they have access to those at a significantly reduced rate.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Seniors in independent living can consult with the community\u2019s in-house design studio to customize their space\u2019s countertops, cabinets, flooring and other features so they can feel right at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n ARC members range from 62 to 103 years old. The largest population of military members is Air Force retirees, but there are members from every military branch except the Space Force, which was established in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n They\u2019ve had Korea veterans, Vietnam veterans and World War II veterans, who bond over shared experiences. Every Friday, ARC residents and its 400 employees are encouraged to wear red in honor of military members who are currently deployed. They also have patriotic celebrations throughout the year, including for residents who have lost a loved one.<\/p>\n Residents have access to three dining venues, tennis and pickleball courts, fishing ponds, as well as a covered indoor pool, golf putting green, lakes, walking paths, community garden, fitness center, library, artist studio, chapel, hair salon, 100-seat movie theater, an on-site market and scheduled transportation. There are 100 resident-led clubs and organizations and 200 scheduled activities each month. Jackson said there\u2019s 75% participation across the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWith this expansion, we really wanted to position ourselves for the future, considering the changes in senior living,\u201d Fuller added. \u201cA lot of our residents moving in are much younger. They want that active lifestyle and don\u2019t want to wait until they can\u2019t enjoy the services and amenities. We\u2019ve helped a lot of people start a new chapter in their lives, and we\u2019ve coined a term called \u2018senior youth.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The Army Residence Community features a 13-floor\u00a0tower of independent living units.<\/p>\n Army Residence Community<\/p>\n Investing in the future<\/p>\n ARC recently completed a $40 million renovation, modernizing its 13-floor tower of independent living units with upgrades to its dining venues, auditorium, corridors and sky lounge and enhancing its lighting, safety and environmental finishes. They added a kitchen that allows residents to watch and even participate in the preparation of their meals. ARC also updated 50 of its apartments and cottages.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cCOVID was a really big trial, and during that time, we invested a lot in our capital budget to improve our infrastructure and make sure we were going to emerge in a really strong position,\u201d Fuller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED:\u00a0At Army Residence Community in San Antonio, ex-military seniors \u2018close ranks\u2019 in retirement<\/a><\/p>\n ARC is a nonprofit, and Fuller said the community raises around $1 million every year to help strengthen its offerings. The move to expand who’s eligible is also part of its efforts to fortify the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very aware of the changes in the military and veteran populations, including civil service,\u201d Fuller said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The number of active-duty military members has\u00a0fallen 64.1%<\/a> from its peak during the Vietnam War in 1968, and military applicants hit a 40-year low<\/a> in 2022, according to\u00a0USAFacts.<\/p>\n The veteran population is also on a downward track, dropping from more than 26 million in 2000 to 18.3 million in 2023. In 1980, about 18% of the adult population was veterans, but that share fell to 6% in 2022. The decline is driven by the passing of older veterans and a smaller active-duty force. The number of veterans is projected to fall to 12.1 million by 2048, according to Pew Research<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to do this (expand eligibility) while we\u2019re in good shape after making that big investment,\u201d Fuller said. \u201cThe board, the residents and staff were all aligned to serve a broader base of people who share our values at the ARC.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe how many times I\u2019ve heard the phrase that we are the best-kept secret in town, and when people come, it pretty much sells itself,\u201d Jackson added. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to getting rid of our secret status and really opening up for the rest of the community to see.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Shown is the lobby at Army Residence Community in San Antonio. 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