Otterbein: 'A national leader in senior living'

What once was a home for orphans and the elderly could be transformed into a multi-generational village.

Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices began more than 100 years ago when Dr. J.M. Phillippi of Lebanon purchased a former Shaker settlement on behalf of his church.

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Today, the nonprofit health and human service ministry – affiliated with the East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences of the United Methodist Church — serves more than 3,000 people annually. Otterbein has five full-service senior communities, nine skilled nursing and rehabilitation neighborhoods, a home health agency and a hospice ministry — all serving communities throughout Ohio.

"We face forward with faith, knowing that our growth is in service. We’ve grown from a simple home for the aged and orphaned to a national leader in senior living,” said Jill Hreben, president and CEO. “Otterbein is not just a few buildings. Nor is it just a business. Otterbein is a ministry, and it’s our privilege to answer the call — to enhance the lives and holistic growth ofelders — with passion and with love."

Otterbein Lebanon is located on 1,400 acres and is the largest senior community in the Dayton-Cincinnati region with 440 independent living residences (with another 110 under construction or soon to be under construction), 38 assisted living suites and availability for 256 nursing residents.

“The spirit of Otterbein is something that is felt as soon as you enter any of our ministries. It cannot be put into words easily, but it's a feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself,” explained Kathleen Geers, AVP of Marketing and Communications.

New-urbanism town planners are helping capture that spirit with a long-term land development plan for much of the undeveloped 1,400 acres located north of state Route 63 and east of state Route 741 — a plan that includes leveraging the property in a mixed use and multi-generational village over the next 25 to 40 years. This community would be known as Union Village, the original name for the Shaker property.

“With the continued expansion and growth of residential, education, health care and business opportunities throughout Warren County, it is inevitable that the land owned by Otterbein will be in great demand over time,” Geers said. “The goal of Otterbein’s long-term plan is to create a high-quality village that preserves the very strong sense of community and spiritual values that form the foundation of Otterbein.”

Architects focused on a new design movement which promotes walkable neighborhoods containing a variety of housing and job types.

“The vision presented is the result of several months of research and planning and a recent planning "charrette," a week-long intense, all inclusive planning process involving representatives from various universities, medical health systems, restaurants, performing arts groups, commercial and residential builders, architects, urban planners, Otterbein residents and partners, and many others,” Geers explained.

“Leveraging the myriad of ideas, the architects of the vision incorporated multi-generational residential homes; retail businesses; faith, arts and cultural centers; educational and health care operations; and several parks and town centers, to create the vision of a complete village that might develop over time.”

Otterbein Lebanon already has seen significant development in recent years.

“Otterbein is dedicated to serving elders in every capacity and has continued to add and expand services to accommodate all the needs of those we serve, including adding a hospice and a home health ministry to serve those outside of our communities in 10 counties in southwest Ohio,” Geers said.

In 2012, Otterbein Lebanon opened a new life enrichment center with 24 independent living apartments, the Otterbein YMCA operated by Countryside YMCA, an indoor walking track, sports club, indoor swimming pool and hot tub.

Construction of The Orchards at Otterbein is underway. Geers said the 26 single-family ranch homes combine “a distinctive new urban feel” with “the romanticism of historic architecture with innovative floor plans.”

This spring a new building, Terrace Place, is scheduled to open, adding 46 independent living one- and two-bedroom apartments with private balconies, below building parking and an array of amenities located in the apartment building.

Additionally, groundbreaking on a five-story apartment building is expected later this year and will feature 45 single bedroom apartments, a woodshop, bistro, art studio and loom room, gift shop, beauty salon, barber shop, library and reading center and a small theater.

“We are excited about the new construction at Otterbein Lebanon – Terrace Place, The Orchards and soon the new apartment building. We have little doubt the new investments will allow us to serve and provide upscale amenities to many more residents and meet a much needed demand,” said Bill Wexler, executive director at Otterbein Lebanon.

Other Otterbein expansion projects in southwest Ohio include the addition of two “small house” nursing neighborhoods. The “small houses” are designed to de-institutionalize traditional nursing home and rehabilitative care standards. Each neighborhood includes five ranch-style houses, 7,400 square feet in size. Each Otterbein “small house” is home to 10 residents and includes private suites, a large communal living, dining and kitchen area with home-cooked meals and in-home rehabilitative care. The Susan F. McConn Neighborhood in Union Twp.in Clermont County opened at the end of 2015, and a similar neighborhood will open this spring near Loveland.

“Otterbein will continue to expand and modernize the community, as well as expanding home health care and hospice care for residents and the local community,” Geers said. “However Otterbein believes it to be imperative to plan a course for the long-term future as well. Union Village represents that course – a planned community for all generations and associated educational, health care and entertainment opportunities. And most importantly, a planned community that isn’t haphazard in design and that effectively ensures a quality land mass is leveraged in a way optimal to the residents and partners of Otterbein and as importantly to the local residents of northern Warren County.”

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Esther Price|Mendlesons |The Golden Lamb | Woolpert