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Seniors Public Housing in Minneapolis Features Universal Design
 The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) broke ground last month on a $14.2 million project for seniors that will include universal design features in all of its 102 apartments, allowing residents who need assisted-living services to be fully integrated with those who can live independently.
Close to downtown, the Heritage Commons project is the first that the city has built for seniors since 1972. It will replace housing that was demolished in 1997, and unlike the high-rise towers that typically provided public housing for seniors in times past, the new building will be low-rise construction overlooking a park and pond, with design that encourages social interaction, a sense of community and connections with the surrounding neighborhood.
Set on a prime 2.1-acre site, the four-story, 94,000-square-foot building will have indoor and outdoor community spaces, resident gardens with raised beds, a rain garden, beauty salon, café/store, library/classroom, second-floor open balcony, exercise room, great room with fireplace, nurse’s station, social services and high-speed Internet access.
“Heritage Commons represents the very best in senior housing, public or private,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak at the building’s groundbreaking. “Seniors deserve to live in a great building like this, and it’s going to raise the bar for projects both here and in other cities.”
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