Inside the Trillium Woods senior living expansion in Plymouth

Trillium Woods senior living community is in the throes of a major $56 million expansion at its 46-acre Plymouth site.

The work, which began last April, is bringing a whole new building to the community, including 52 new independent living homes, 18 assisted living residences, and 16 private memory care studios. Only a few months remain of the project, with construction expected to finish in August and turnover to Trillium staff and their contractor on Sept. 1. 

Work has been ongoing on the Trillium Woods expansion since April 1 last year in Plymouth and is expected to be finished Aug. 11. This is how the building stands as of June 17.

The 160,321-square-foot, five-story expansion was designed by Pope Design Group and is coming to life courtesy of Kraus-Anderson, a locally based construction management and real estate enterprise. Trillium Woods is owned by Life Care Services (LCS), a company that provides senior living management solutions.

“We had interest knowing the history on the original project, but we looked at it more as an opportunity to develop the relationship with LCS,” said Chris McKane, the project manager from Kraus-Anderson for the expansion. “Their business views are in alignment with ours and we just felt it would be a good fit, so we looked at this as an opportunity to do that.”

Stanton shared, “This relationship with Kraus-Anderson has been amazing and the progress that they’ve made and the communication. We couldn’t be happier.”

On average, the project employs more than 110 people on the job site each day with just under 40 local companies since the work began.

While the new building will feature similar units to their current offerings, many of the unit styles will have more open concepts with updated finishes. The assisted living residences are also completely new to Trillium Woods, allowing residents to continue to live independently while also receiving the personalized level of daily support required.

There will also be a new fourth eating space on the complex grounds in the existing building, which will be a bistro. The three currently in operation are the main dining room, the Minnehaha Pub and a café open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch.

Trillium Woods as a senior living community is different from others in the area, operating under the concept of LifeCare, or a life plan. LifeCare means that interested residents pay a one-time entrance fee, which is 80% refundable to them or their estate. There is also a monthly fee, which is an all-inclusive price for things like meals, utilities, parking, storage and others.

“What life plan really does is that you come in independently and as you increase your care level, your additional cares that come to you, there’s a minimal increase in cost,” said Linda Stanton, director of marketing and sales for Trillium Woods.

Stanton called it “like long-term care insurance for people who don’t have it or a bonus for people who do.”

Trillium Woods also offers the full continuum of care, including nursing, so residents never have to leave the complex to receive it.

As it stands, 274 residents live at Trillium Woods. While the average age is 83, the complex ranges in age from 67 to 102 in independent living.

Demand is high for long-term living in Plymouth. The expansion building is already mostly signed away to future residents, with only five units remaining of the 52 incoming. In the existing building, there are also only five units available.

“We have quite a list for some of our larger apartments. There are residents in independent living who will move into our assisted living when that opens and very grateful that we’re going to have that available to those that need more additional care,” Stanton added.

The current building has 195 apartments in total and 14 garden homes, also known as detached townhomes. Something many who move into Trillium Woods are looking for is space as they downsize from other larger houses.

“Most of our wait list says ‘as big as they can get,” she said.

But those new residents that will be walking into Trillium are already being welcomed with open arms into their new community.

“They’re going to join the family very easily,” Stanton said.

Social events have already been organized and held by current residents to integrate the new faces before move-in day, which is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 1.

“They have actually said, ‘We want to do more social activities with the future residents, and we’ve also assigned ambassadors. Our current residents have all connected up with a future resident, so they’ve been communicating, coming in and having meals with them. We’ve had a lot of success,” she added.

While Stanton said every senior living community may tote its residents as its stand-out factor, at Trillium Woods, it is the welcoming, hospitable climate that makes the community a success.

“The activities that are provided, the events that they get to attend and the food is five-star. It’s unbelievable,” Stanton said, something project manager McKane enthusiastically agreed with.

Something Stanton insisted Trillium Woods takes pride in is their retention of staff.

“It ranges anywhere from a 50%-70% turnover rate in this industry, and we were at 15% last year. Our staff are very much appreciated and are very loyal and a lot of people have been here. We’ve been open for 10 years and we have a lot of staff that have been here since the beginning,” she shared.