Hudson Valley College Opens Retirement Community On Campus

What age demographics perfectly work together? College students and senior citizens! Okay, here me out! The Hudson Valley is welcoming the first-ever retirement community on a college campus. It may seem like an odd kind of integration, but when you think about it, it could work!

Seniors Living With Seniors: SUNY Purchase Opens First-Ever On Campus Retirement Community

Purchase College celebrates the official opening of the Broadview Senior Housing, making it the inaugural retirement community on a college campus. The project aims to forge connections between generations, fostering interaction between students and retirees aged 62 and above. Broadview Senior Housing encompasses a range of housing options, including apartment homes, villas, a clubhouse, a learning center, and a health care facility.

The concept of Broadview started to take shape back in 2002. Not only would it serve the needs of a growing senior population in the Westchester area, but it would also provide unique opportunities for intergenerational learning, creativity and mentoring. The project has taken extensive planning, faced legislative hurdles, and had been hit with several construction delays.

"Think Wide Open:" Broadview at Purchase College is A First-of-Its-Kind University

Broadview at Purchase College is a pioneering institution. It is the only University Based Retirement Community (UBRC) in New York and the first in the nation to be situated on a college campus.  The purpose-built 8,000 sq. ft. Learning Commons is a testament to the community's commitment to intergenerational programming, learning, and mentoring spaces. This partnership between senior living and a prestigious educational institution provides unique opportunities for residents. Embracing the college’s tagline, “Think Wide Open,” Broadview invites residents to cross generational borders, shatter stereotypes, and forge lasting friendships.

Residents have a full range of amenities on campus, including dining venues, a fitness center, heated indoor pool, salon, library and movie theater. A landscaped area between the main independent living apartment building and villa neighborhood  include walking paths, gardens, an outdoor dining area and amphitheater – the perfect spot to enjoy a performance on a summer’s evening.

My Thoughts on Broadview...

As someone who recently graduated from college, and as someone who has spent a lot of time experiencing senior living facilities through caring for my grandparents, I can actually see this kind of integration working really well! College campuses offer so much community. Both colleges and senior living centers offer those in attendance to be constantly surrounded by people of your age group with similar interests and nearly endless opportunities for learning and recreation.

I love the idea of having mentoring programs available. College students having access to individuals who did well in their careers and still have connections to offer is a great asset. The mentoring also keeps the senior residents engaged and involved, and offer a lot of meaning and purpose. They can transition from leaving the workforce to help bolster the new generation. So many terrific relationships can be built this way.

Get our free mobile app

I could see this working as a healthy symbiotic relationship. At my college, we'd have a lot of senior members of the community already come out to our public events like our concerts, plays, sporting events, and more. Just imagine how easy it would be for senior residents at Broadview to be able to enjoy and support those activities while already being on campus.

I really like the concept of Broadview, and I think it could foster a lot of great relationships moving forward.