More senior citizen housing in the works for Joplin - KOAM TV 7

Joplin senior citizens could have more housing options if a plan from the master development firm comes to fruition - a campus-like project that would be unique to the area.

The May 22, 2011 tornado destroyed three nursing homes.  Two have been rebuilt or repaired but a third is gone.  Filling that gap and a need for independent living units for seniors is the goal.

Wallace Bajjali, the city Master Developer is in the process of acquiring 30 acres of property at 26th and McClelland.  Currently, College View Manor is the main provider of senior independent living apartments in Joplin but it doesn't have a nursing home style facility for those with more extreme care needs.

This project would include small homes, apartments, assisted living facilities all the way to skilled nursing care in one gated community.

"Where you can literally, if you want to, own it," says David Wallace, the CEO of Wallace Bajjali Development Partners.  "You own it - want to lease it (then) lease it.  If you need doctors order assisted living, skilled nursing or a memory care, all of that being in one location.  And again, it may be a husband is in independent living and his wife is in memory care, yet it's all really in the same development."

Now that the TIF district has been approved that creates the financing capitol for developers to assemble land for the senior housing project.

Today a group of potential facility operators, bankers, investors, construction managers and architects met to discuss designs.