Calabash Housing Plans

This rendering by MPG (Mann Parsons Gray) Architects is a preliminary drawing of the apartment complex planned for the property behind the Brunswick Center at Calabash.

By Shelagh Clancy

Brunswick County seniors need housing, and Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc. (BSRI) is helping to get it for them, starting with a special project in Calabash.

“Census information shows the need for housing for our seniors. According to the latest data, Brunswick County has over 150,000 residents, of which 55 percent are over the age of 50, and projections show that our population will grow 32 percent over the next 10 years. This information paired with the limited housing options for older adults is motivating BSRI to take action,” says BSRI Director of Corporate Strategy Courtney Bledsoe. “We know there is a major need. Many people are living with a friend or family member. Their immediate needs aren’t being met.” The few area complexes that offer affordable apartments for seniors have a substantial waiting list.

Centrally-located senior housing can concentrate transportation services, provide better access to medical and emergency services, and help seniors age in place.

BSRI and Brunswick County leaders want to address the housing need in a practical, sustainable way.

“Behind the Calabash Senior Center is a 15-acre parcel, and adjacent to that is another 23-acre parcel,” Bledsoe says. So BSRI, backed by private equity investors, is developing an independent living facility. Proximity to the Calabash senior center means residents will have access to meals, activities, and services. The location in central Calabash offers shopping and recreation within walking distance.

The Town of Calabash has given the green light for construction on the 15-acre property behind the senior center. Preliminary plans call for a new 136-unit apartment complex, with a 74-unit three-story apartment building alongside multifamily, ranch-style buildings of four, six, or eight units. The apartments in the 74-unit building will be one or two bedrooms, about 700 to 1,000 square feet.

“Amenities will be comparable to other communities,” Bledsoe says, “including indoor and outdoor public space, walking trails, and more.”

And residents will be right behind the Brunswick Center at Calabash, with all their programs and services that support seniors. “We would be the people they would come to,” she says.

Making Housing Affordable

The as-yet-unnamed housing complex, unlike other BSRI projects, will not be a nonprofit venture. There are several reasons for that.

BSRI will share ownership with a group of investors. BSRI will manage day-to-day operations and pay taxes on the property. And BSRI will charge market-rate rents, which will help to offset costs for less affluent seniors.

“Many people don’t qualify for programs such as tax credit properties, even if they make just $1 more than the income limit,” Bledsoe says. “We hope to provide a niche between those properties and a highend retirement community or assisted living facility.” The community will include a mix of incomes.

The market-rate rents and economies of scale allow the development to pay eventually for itself, while returning money to the community in the form of taxes and adding a pleasant, attractive development to the site.

Where It Stands

MPG (Mann Parsons Gray) Architects has drawn up preliminary plans for the buildings, and Norris and Tunstall Consulting Engineers of Wilmington are also at work on the project. Builders and contractors are interviewing now. BSRI hopes to break ground this fall and complete the project in fall 2022.

When the 15-acre project is complete, BSRI will begin developing the adjacent 23-acre parcel. The need is there. And when it’s successful, BSRI intends to create a spectrum of affordable housing options throughout Brunswick County.

BSRI HOUSING IMPACT

BSRI is working to create 1,500 housing units in Brunswick County.

1,500 represents only 1% of the county’s population.

Brunswick County’s population is expected to grow by 32% over the next 10 years.

Preliminary plans by MPG (Mann Parsons Gray) Architects call for a new 136‐unit apartment complex, with a 74‐unit three‐story apartment building alongside mul ‐family, ranch‐style buildings of four, six, or eight units. The apartments in the 74‐unit building will be one or two bedrooms, about 700 to 1,000 square feet.