Out with the Old, In with the Elderly

Burnsville is readying itself for what County Commissioner Liz Workman called a "tsunami" of seniors: On Wednesday, elected officials attended a groundbreaking for Valley Ridge, a 140-unit senior living complex.

The oncoming demographic shift can hardly be overstated, according to officials in attendance.

"By 2025 seniors in Dakota County will outnumber school age children for the first time in the county's history. By 2030 there will be over 142,000 seniors, accounting for 28 percent of the county's total population," Workman continued.

However, affordable housing for seniors has not yet caught up with anticipated demand.There are homes for very low-income seniors who are dependent on government programs and a number of high-end housing complexes for the well-heeled, but very little in between, said Dan Lindh, the CEO and President of Presbyterian Homes & Services.

"What about the vast majority in the middle? That need is increasing due to economic conditions were in: social security rates being flat, more of your income going to insurance, interest rates being down," Lindh told the crowd. "Older adults are being squeezed."

Presbyterian is teaming up with the Dakota County Community Development Agency to correct the imbalance with Valley Ridge, a housing complex that will offer reasonable rental rates, a cafe, market, community room, and underground parking. A more comprehensive story about Valley Ridge can be found .

Construction will wrap up in 2012.