The University of Maryland’s University of Notre Dame has granted Brightview Senior Living a long-term lease on 3.7 acres of land that includes the former Knights of Columbus building. Brightview plans to build a 171 unit senior living community on the land. (The Daily Record / Patrick Brannan)
Brightview Senior Living plans a 171-unit senior living community on the campus of the University of Maryland, Notre Dame in the City of Baltimore, bringing a new college-based community model for retirees to the area.
College-based communities provide seniors access to campus resources such as performances, art exhibits, and lectures, and students access mentors and intergenerational learning opportunities. Brightview’s community includes independent living, assisted living and memory care options.
Steve Marker, vice president of development at Brightview, said:
The Notre Dame Cathedral of the University of Maryland is a long-term plot of land in Brightview, on the 3.7-acre land on which the former Knights of Columbus buildings stood and the adjacent land currently used for overflow parking on Homeland Avenue Allows leasing.
Construction could begin as early as 2024, and plans call for zoning changes, a process that is expected to begin earlier this year.
Similar projects are underway in the region. Last year, the Baltimore County Council approved a text amendment allowing the concept in the Towson neighborhood where the Edenwald Senior Living Community is proposed to expand on the Goocher College campus.
The 60-acre wooded campus of Notre Dame Cathedral is located in the Homeland residential area of northern Baltimore, about a mile from the Johns Hopkins University campus.
Brightview plans to enhance existing connections between the Homeland district, the senior living community, and the main NDMU campus by adding a walking loop connecting Homeland Avenue to the university campus sidewalk network. said Marker.
Marylou Yam, president of the University of Maryland’s Notre Dame Cathedral, said the project fits the school’s mission of lifelong learning and community service. (Submitted photo)
Rector of Notre-Dame Cathedral Marilou Yam said the project fits well with the university’s mission of lifelong learning and serving the community. The university already runs a Renaissance Institute program for lifelong learners over the age of 50, serving about 300 members. Renaissance members pay a semester or annual fee and can take an unlimited number of non-credit courses through the Institute, and can audit one credit-free course per academic year at no charge.
Institute members are also connected to resources within the university, such as campus events and short study trips. For example, several members recently joined university faculty and students on an educational trip to London this month.
“We have a long tradition with the Renaissance Institute of serving the elderly,” says Yam. “Our partnership with Brightview is revolutionary. It’s not a lot, considering there are thousands of colleges across the country, but Maryland doesn’t have one. It’s beneficial for the college, and it’s good for the students.”
Brightview is currently in high-level discussions with universities to determine what programming options will be in the community. Overall, Yam said it offers an attractive senior living option for those who want to stay in or come to the Baltimore area.
“Seniors can continue to live in Baltimore City, close to family and friends, places of worship, and medical options,” Yam said.
The University of Maryland’s University of Notre Dame offers the state’s only master’s degree program in art therapy, and also has degrees in pharmacy, nursing, and occupational therapy.
All of this benefits from new experiential learning opportunities for students.
“The University of Maryland’s collaboration with the University of Notre Dame has a unique partnership that enhances the experience for our residents who want to live close to the great educational and cultural attractions that the University of Notre Dame campus has to offer. It provided a great place,” Marker said.
