Immanuel Lutheran Communities held a ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the coming addition of The Cottages at Buffalo Hill, a new housing development for adults 55 and over.

The Cottages at Buffalo Hill is the latest addition in a multiple-phase campus expansion and redevelopment project that kicked off in 2015. The single-family home development provides a new option for those seeking an independent lifestyle without the hassles of home maintenance. Immanuel Lutheran’s Life Plan Community guarantees future access to health care on campus and offers residents a continuum of housing services as they age.

This new phase of development adds two duplexes, a total of four residences with attached garages and covered front porches. The homes are all two-bedroom, two-bathroom floor plans ranging from 1,300 square feet to 1,550 square feet. The largest design includes a bonus sun room.

Residents of The Cottages will have access to all of the amenities and services at Buffalo Hill Terrace, including multiple dining venues, The Wooden Nickel Bistro and Lounge, a fitness studio, exercise room, pool, hot tub, and an auditorium and chapel.

“As baby boomers retire they are looking for new, more modern options, and as the area leader in senior living it is important to offer new solutions,” Jason Cronk, CEO of Immanuel Lutheran Communities, said in a press release. Cronk said The Cottages will feel like home with everything from fireplaces to granite countertops. They will also include enhanced services such as a dining plan, transportation and shopping deliveries.

“Offering single-family homes really completes Immanuel Lutheran’s housing offerings and will attract those who are downsizing from the family home. This allows them to move to a fresh, new living space and puts a plan in place for their future needs. At the same time, they won’t have the worry of selling a home or downsizing at an inconvenient time,” Cronk added.

MMW Architects of Missoula created the design and construction plans for the expansion. Local firms JD Builders and Davidson Construction will be used to complete the site work and build.

The Cottages at Buffalo Hill will be located on the corner of Crestline Avenue and Buffalo Hill Drive in Kalispell, offering neighborhood views of Buffalo Hill Golf Course. Construction of the project began this week with the removal of a house original to the property.