It is an exciting time for the Brothers of Mercy in Clarence. On June 25th ground was broken on Montabaur Heights, an innovative all-inclusive senior independent living community opening in the fall of 2015.

The senior apartment complex is the newest addition to the Brothers of Mercy 126-acre campus, with a goal of providing a complete continuum of care for residents of Western New York.

Montabaur Heights will have 111 one and two bedroom luxury apartments in a three story building. Also housed within the Montabaur Heights apartment building will be a variety of lifestyle amenities that cater to seniors including a movie theater, chapel, grocery and gift shops, beauty salon and barber shop, fitness center, library and café. As a full-service facility the apartment offerings will also include daily meals, housekeeping, wireless internet and a number of other exclusive amenities. The apartments will sit on the edge of a beautiful wooded part of the campus surrounded by gardens and walking paths.

“We expect Montabaur Heights to be extremely appealing to those seniors who want to maintain an active lifestyle but want to be free from the tasks and responsibilities of home ownership,” says Nancy Gugino, Senior Living Consultant for Montabaur Heights. “Even before we broke ground we were thrilled to have a signed contract with our first four residents and,” added Gugino, “there is a continuous stream of inquiries.”

Alice Miller, the first resident to commit to living at Montabaur Heights, stated that, “I selected Montabaur Heights because of the Brothers Continuum of Care. My children live out of the area and now there is peace of mind for me and my family knowing that I will be taken care of by the Brothers if I need other levels of care.” She also pointed to the fact that meals, along with numerous services including housekeeping, and activities geared toward active seniors are included in her rent.

Peter Eimer, COO of the Brothers of Mercy, explained the new apartments were named Montabaur Heights in honor of the location in Germany near where the Brothers were founded in 1856. “The name carries with it both the Brothers’ tradition of service to seniors and the distinctive living environment we are creating for them.” Eimer added, “Breaking ground on Montabaur Heights is an exciting first step toward creating the Senior Center of Excellence we have planned for Clarence.

“Our goal is to become a destination for seniors in the community where they can have access to complete medical care if need arises without ever leaving the campus” stated Eimer, “Montabaur Heights is the first part of a planned $42 million dollar investment in the campus which will see upgrades to our Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and future expansions to incorporate additional medical services.”

The Brothers of Mercy have been caring for WNY seniors since 1924 when they established a residence on Cottage Street in Buffalo. In 1952 they moved to the 126 acre property in Clarence In the last few years The Brothers of Mercy have quietly created several educational partnerships leading toward the aforementioned Center of Geriatric Excellence. Those partnerships have included opening satellite classrooms for D’Youville College for both their school of Pharmacy which is studying the correlation between medications and fall prevention, and their School of Nursing for students completing their RN licensing requirements. The UB School of Nursing also has a program at the campus which offers a medication reduction program for 6th year nurse practitioners.

As the first new addition in nearly 30 years, Montabaur Heights will the latest addition to the 126 acre campus joining the 5 star rated Brothers of Mercy Nursing and Rehab Center, The Sacred Heart Adult Home and the Senior Apartments which offers 100 HUD subsidized apartments.

Attending the groundbreaking was Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, and Town Supervisor Dave Hartzell. Included in the groundbreaking events were the first 4 tenants for the new property and the board of directors of the Brothers, along with a number of other dignitaries. In addition a representative from Congressman Chris Collin’s office presented a proclamation honoring the efforts of the Brothers.

The Brothers stayed close to home in selecting their partners for this project and are working with an all-star WNY team including Matrix Development Corporation, headed by John Yurtchuk, Regent Companies and Silvestri Architects. The $18 million dollar project is being financed by Northwest Saving Bank. The Montabaur Heights project will add a number of construction jobs to the region along with 25 permanent new jobs at the apartment complex.

More information can be found at Montabaurheights.com, an interactive website that has information on apartment amenities, floor plans and a simple cost calculator.