New ‘vibrant living’ community to open in east Wichita next month

The new Fremont HomePlus independent living senior community will be ready for its first occupants on Feb. 15.

“They can live there and not worry about a thing,” says Bryon McNeil, an emergency medicine physician who is a partner in the community.

Fremont HomePlus is at 2062 N. Garnett, which is just south of 21st and 127th East.

“The bulk of the partners are physicians, and we see a need for elder housing . . . where you don’t need assisted living, but you don’t want to deal with a home,” McNeil says.

The community is for people 60 and older who are still active.

“These are mobile people,” McNeil says.

He says he can see a lot of people living there who have lost a spouse or are moving to Wichita to be with family.

When completely built, there will be six buildings on almost 11 acres.

There will be 12 apartments per building, each slightly different in shape, but around 320 square feet.

Each apartment will have a kitchenette and an installed 42-inch television with cable.

There are no stairs, roommates or shared bathrooms. There also is no laminate or Formica. McNeil says everything is quartz, granite or marble.

“We spent a lot of money to build new construction.”

There are common areas, and residents will receive three meals a day plus snacks. Menus will include a main entree and a secondary one so diners have choices.

Residents will be invited to help with cooking if they’d like, and there are areas for them to garden as well.

McNeil says initially, the cost will be about $7,500 a month, but that could go up.

The first building is ready, and McNeil says subsequent buildings will go up every four months.

Eventually, there will be limo service for residents.

In the future, McNeil and his partners plan about six buildings on the west side “because that has the clientele to support it.”

They also plan smaller communities in surrounding areas, such as Derby, Park City and possibly Kingman.

McNeil says he wants to be clear that Fremont HomePlus is not a nursing home or anything close to it.

“This is a vibrant living place.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 2:17 PM.