New Hope Bay Assisted Living & Memory Care Receives Tax Exemption

October 5, 2015
By: Mark Litten

HAMPTON TWP. - New Hope Bay, LLC a group of 15 healthcare professionals, has announced investment of $5.5 million in its new assisted living and memory care campus to be located in Hampton Township. The group currently operates New Hope Valley, a local and national award winning assisted living and memory care community, in Saginaw Township. This announcement comes off the unanimous approval by the township board of the company's application for a Commercial Rehabilitation District and Exemption Certificate, last week. The board granted the company a 10-year property tax abatement on new investment to help encourage the rehabilitation of the former golf driving range commercial property.

"We are very excited to call Hampton Township, home, and even more excited to have our residents do the same," said K. Rumi Shahzad, founder of the New Hope Partners LLC, and operator of New Hope Bay. "We have been very fortunate and we are grateful for the support we have received in serving our seniors."

The 14+ acre property will utilize the current 1,200 square foot single story golf range front business retail office building, originally built in 1998, and remodel it along with an addition of an 84,500 square foot assisted living and memory care facility on the site. The leasing office for the community is scheduled to open in the middle of October.

The campus will comprise 77 apartments, divided into four households: Assisted Living, Assisted Living Plus, Memory Care, and Memory Care Plus. New Hope Bay's mission is to bring world-class, resident-centered service to our seniors in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Among a host of amenities, the campus includes a Zen garden, three enclosed courtyards, three dining areas, two spa salons, activity rooms and a chapel. Its apartments feature luxurious space uncommon in such facilities, 10-foot high ceilings, bay windows, kitchenettes and bathrooms with granite countertops. The inspiration for the community's architecture comes from Frank Lloyd Wright and his play with sunlight and water according to Shahzad.

Tom Foret, Hampton Township Supervisor said, "We are so glad to have this community here in Hampton Township. It really makes our township a community for a lifetime."

Foret added that he was very impressed with New Hope Valley's complex in Saginaw Township. "It's very high quality and I said I wanted it in Hampton Township. Now it is. And with the level of care and attention seniors will be able to get from New Hope Bay, here in the township, we really couldn't be happier."

New Hope Bay celebrated the opening of construction with a ground breaking on August 31st. When completed, the project will have created 55 jobs (25 part time and 30 full time jobs, including 7 managerial jobs) with the minimum wage being $10 per hour.

Mark D. Litten, President & CEO of Bay Future, Inc. lauded the company's leadership, decision to expand in to Bay County, and investment. "We at Bay Future, Inc. are so glad to have diligent, forward thinking partners such as Rumi and New Hope Partners and are happy to help them fully realize their vision in Bay County," said Litten. "Not only is this company providing a high quality of service but they are creating quality jobs for our residents. We thank them and commend them for that."

Bay Future, Inc. worked with the company and Hampton Township, to secure the district, abatement, and provided the company with demographic information, jobs data, and economic impact scenarios while also offering service and support through the abatement and application process. Shahzad publically thanked Bay Future, Inc. at the Hampton Township meeting saying, "Their professionalism, and quality have helped us do things and learn things that we didn't even know we didn't know. We thank them for their partnership and for providing their expertise to us in this process."

Established in 2004, Bay Future, Inc. is a 501(C)(3) public-private alliance of government, business and other organizations that support economic growth in Bay County and the Great Lakes Bay Region. Bay Future, Inc. is dedicated to facilitating economic development strategies that promote and secure opportunities for business retention, growth, and the attraction of new industries that create quality jobs for community residents.