WASI cuts the ribbon to new senior apartment unit on main campus

WASILLA — Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. staff and volunteers celebrated the grand opening of the Willow House apartment unit with the public Thursday, Nov. 4.

The new 40-unit apartment is located within the main campus off Knik-Goose Bay Road just outside downtown Wasilla. The building was built from the ground up with space and utility in mind, featuring high ceilings and large windows offering scenic views of the Alaskan mountains in the distance.

“It is a thing of beauty,” former WASI CEO Chuck Foster said. “It looks as good as we hoped.”

WASI team members led visitors on informative tours around the building, showing the various senior housing units and various points of interest.

The Willow House features an array of accessibility features that improve the senior residents’ overall experience at the facility, including specialized bathrooms, a winterized drop-off area with an arctic entry, and carts in the main lobby to haul groceries and luggage, and an indoor mailroom and trash chute system.

“One the things everybody loves is the trash chute. One of the things we’ve learned with our existing properties is when people age, they might have a joint problem… That gets to be a problem for folks… You just go down the hall. You don’t have to put a coat on or have to worry about slipping on the ice,” Foster said. “Everybody just thought it was a wonderful thing. For you and I, what we think of as a convenience makes it possible for folks who are older or dealing with an injury or something like that to live independently having features like that.”

According to Foster, the original vision for this building started several years ago, and they signed the contracts in July of 2020.

“We have people moving in just like we said it would and that’s remarkable,” Foster said. “Not only did they build a really good building, but they also did it during a pandemic year… Everyone in this project has been very good to work with. It made me feel good about being able to be retired.”

The Willow House is designed to serve low-income seniors. WASI Assistant Executive Director Marlene Munsell said there are also apartments within the facility that is available to local homeless seniors.

“There’s definitely a need for housing in general right now. It’s a need, but especially for seniors,” Munsell said.

Munsell said they’re in the process of moving seniors into the new facility. She said it’s a huge milestone for the local senior community and she’s thankful to see several tenets settling into their new home.

“I think it’s great. The most exciting thing is the seniors can come and have a home. The tenants I talked to, they’re so excited to have a place to live,” Munsell said. “In a community like this, they feel safe.”

According to Munsell, WASI’s meals on wheels program and other services continue to grow in general as they continue to help their senior residents live comfortable, fulfilling, secure, and independent lives.

“I’m always looking to share out story because our work is really important,” Munsell said.

Numerous guest speakers representing businesses and nonprofits across the Valley took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Other members of the community simply showed up to show their support to WASI at this major milestone addressing the need for quality senior housing in the Valley.

“It’s gorgeous, a lot of great features that were added in that are really nice. I just like the little details like, you walk in the door and there’s hooks there for your coat. Little things like that you don’t think about, but it’s nice to have built-in,” Mat-Su Food Bank Executive Director Eddie Ezelle said.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Pastor, Rick Cavens said the new senior housing unit is a huge asset to the Valley’s ever-growing senior population. He said they have several members of the congregation that live either at the main campus or at one of the various units around the Valley.

“I love WASI’s mission,” Cavens said.”They’re well-taken care of. They have a fine sense of community. It’s fun just to eat a meal here. It is a good place.”

For more information about WASI, visit wasillaseniors.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com