Retirement living — with style

As Theresa Bacon walks past the bare walls and floors of the rapidly forming Park Vista retirement complex on Lund Avenue, she admits it may not look like much now, but insists it will very soon.

“You just have to use your imagination. These will be some great common areas,” Bacon said, pointing out what will be the fireplace in one of the living rooms.

Bacon said the number of “homey” common areas — for socializing, gardening or other activities — is just one of the reasons why Park Vista will be special.

“While a lot of other complexes are cutting back on common areas so they can have more rental spaces, Mountain West is not,” she said, pointing to what will be a spacious lobby, two large dining rooms and a smaller, private dining room.

Each of the building’s three floors will have activity rooms, including one Bacon was particularly proud of, which will be called the “puzzle room.”

“If you are a puzzle person, you know how important it is to have a place to work on it,” Bacon said, explaining that when it is set up, the room will allow each puzzle user to have a table or area for their work to remain undisturbed.

Knowing that residents would appreciate a puzzle room is just one of the details Bacon said she has learned during 18 years in the business.

“It comes with experience,” she said, explaining that even with all her years in the business when she started with Mountain West, she underwent a month of training for her new job. “This company is very focused on training their staff.”

On schedule to open in March, Park Vista will have 160 apartments, more than half of which will be for seniors interested in independent living. Those apartments will offer features like laundry facilities and kitchens, although all residents can opt for community meals.

Having residents who can live independently alongside those who need more assistance allows for a much more diverse population, she said.

Not only will the atmosphere be infused with more “active, vibrant” people, she said, having both independent and assisted-living apartments in one complex will allow residents to live longer in one building and not have to move when their needs change.

Bacon said while this is the first complex Mountain West has built in South Kitsap, it is currently building one in Port Townsend, and has existing establishments in Puyallup, Auburn and Yelm.

Bacon said the site on the corner of Jackson and Lund was chosen for Park Vista because it’s in the middle of “a small town that is growing,” but the location has many other positives as well.

“We have the park out front,” Bacon said, pointing to South Kitsap Community Park, just across the street from the complex’s entrance. “And the park out back,” she added, explaining that along with several patios, the complex will have walking trails for residents to enjoy behind the building.

Bacon said she is currently accepting reservations for all of the complex’s floor plans, which include 15 different configurations for both assisted and independent living.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.