Key Takeaways:
- Swope Health is developing a $126 million multi-use campus on the grounds of a shuttered nursing home.
- The project is designed to serve the affordable housing and service needs of the rapidly growing number of seniors.
- So far, backers have secured $25 million to start building the first phase of the campus, which could take a decade to complete.
Six decades ago, Kansas City architects were already grappling with the housing needs of an aging population. In 1963, the Kansas City chapter of the American Institute of Architects devoted a special issue of its journal to local senior living projects, noting the graying of America would only continue.
One of those projects was the Swope Ridge nursing home, built in 1957 at 5900 Swope Parkway. Once a haven for middle-class seniors, it later evolved into a safety-net facility serving mostly frail, low-income residents. By the time it closed in 2022, Swope Ridge had dwindled to about 80 residents, its aging structure and low Medicaid reimbursements making it unsustainable. The closure left a void in the Town Fork Creek neighborhood — and questions about what would replace it.
Now, Swope Health is proposing a $126 million intergenerational development on the site, the largest initiative in its nearly 60-year history. The 12-acre Swope Health Village, which could take a decade to complete, broke ground Aug. 7 with city and neighborhood leaders present. About $25 million has been secured to launch the first phase.
“This is for the neighbors who said to me when Swope Ridge was closing, ‘What are you going to do about that?’” said Kansas City Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw. “We are here and we are delivering on the promises that we made.”
The ‘Gray Revolution’
The need is clear. In 1960, seniors made up 9.2% of the U.S. population; by 2020, they were nearly 17%. National reports have warned of a “dual burden” of housing and health costs facing older Americans. About a third of older households now spend more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving little for health care.
Swope Health’s vision is one response: a “modern residential campus” blending health and housing. The plan calls for 200 units of affordable senior housing, 90 units for mental health and PACE KC participants, and 10 beds for substance abuse treatment in collaboration with the courts.
The site will also include retail space, services from the Kansas City Health Department, a community center, gardens, and training opportunities for local entrepreneurs and students. “When we talk about holistic care, we’re defining health care as a broader umbrella,” said Swope Health CEO Jeron Ravin.
Beyond Health Care
Swope Health intends the Village to be a mixed-use Purpose Built Community — a model that integrates housing, health, and economic vitality. Plans include financial literacy classes, job training, and career pipelines into health care.
Sonja Bachus, chief experience officer for the National Association of Community Health Centers, said projects like this reflect a national shift. “This type of development is how we keep people functioning in their own space longer, instead of moving loved ones into a full-service nursing home earlier on,” she said.
Initial support has included $12.5 million in city and state funding. Ravin said additional public and philanthropic backing will be needed for future phases.
Neighborhood Impact
For longtime residents, the project is both personal and practical. Lisa Ray, president of the Town Fork Creek Neighborhood Association, remembers volunteering at Swope Ridge as a teen, delivering soap and sundries to residents. The facility was a neighborhood anchor, she said — providing care for local seniors and jobs within walking distance.
Its closure not only displaced residents but also eliminated employment opportunities nearby. Today, she sees former workers walking to Prospect Avenue to catch buses to jobs farther away.
Ray is cautiously optimistic about Swope Health Village. “Because of its long service to the community, people will be inclined to support Swope Health,” she said. But she also wants assurances that the new housing will be truly affordable for seniors in Town Fork Creek, and that parking and traffic won’t overwhelm the area.
For Ravin, ensuring the site continues to serve the community is the point. “For Swope Ridge to no longer exist and not have any type of replacement services would have been a significant disservice,” he said.