There’s a seniors housing project about to break ground on the UWS that’s NYC’s largest investment in seniors housing, one of the US’s first seniors housing to offer a dedicated LGBT residence, and the first urban high-rise for the Green House model (group apartments).

Jewish Home Lifecare CEO Audrey Weiner says the org’s 20-story, 376k SF building, to be called The Living Center in Manhattan, will break ground on 97th between Columbus and Amsterdam this fall and open in 2018. The $278M project is financed with a $152M mortgage, $40M raised so far via philanthropy, and funds from a land swap with Joe Chetrit. He received Jewish Home Lifecare’s existing campus: four buildings on 106th between Columbus and Amsterdam.

264 people will live in 22 apartments (each with 12 bed/bathrooms and shared living space), at least one of which will be dedicated to LGBT seniors, who also can opt to live elsewhere in the property. A five-floor short-term rehab center has another 150 beds. It’s a rare opportunity for NYC seniors to age-in-place in the city where they’ve spent their lives.

Photo: Ann Billingsley

Earlier this month, Jewish Home Lifecare raised $1.3M at its inaugural Eight Over Eighty gala, where real estate legend Larry Silverstein and his wife Klara and the newest gay rights icon, Edie Windsor (above, at the gala), were among those honored.