AgeSong at Bayside Park, a 116,400 square-foot, 125-apartment community that will offer independent and assisted living apartments for senior adults breaks ground today in Emeryville, expanding AgeSong’s holistic approach to elder care in the East Bay.

A five-story residence, AgeSong at Bayside Park sits on a corner site at 1440 40^th Street (and Horton), within walking distance to the city’s retail and entertainment district and Emeryville’s bustling “triangle” neighborhood. It is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010.

The 125 apartments are divided into 29 independent living one-bedroom and studio apartments; 63 assisted-living one bedroom and studio apartments; and 33 forgetfulness (dementia) and gero-wellness studios and shared apartments. The independent and assisted-living apartments include full kitchens or kitchenettes.

Designed by Berkeley-based architectural firm Kava Massih Architects, Bayside Park features high ceilings, large windows, natural materials, outside garden patios, a Kneipp therapy pool, exercise and strength training center, expressive arts studio and a public café, among other amenities. (Renderings are available.)

“California’s elderly population is expected to grow more than twice as fast as the total population,” said Dr. Shabahangi, founder and CEO of AgeSong, which is a family-run group of senior communities. “By 2010, one in five Californians will be 60 years old or older, and by 2040 the Bay Area population is expected to be the oldest in California, with 41 seniors per 100 work-age adults, so the need for senior housing and services in California is critical. We believe AgeSong provides a fresh and much needed alternative for people as they age,” he said.

“Elders are a core source of wisdom in our society and should have viable housing and care options in urban settings, where interaction with younger generations is accessible,” said Dr. Shabahangi. “Our philosophy of care begins with the design criteria for each of our communities,” he added. “We encourage interaction between our inner community of residents and outer community of neighbors by creating retail spaces that are either used or operated by our elders and shared with the community. Our overall design is inspired by the five pillars of wellness developed by the Bavarian priest Sebastian Kneipp in the 19^th century.”

Dr. Shabahangi founded AgeSong in 1995 with his two brothers, combining their diverse backgrounds in psychology, law and theology to create AgeSong’s distinctive model of elder care. Their vision has been successful. In 2006 AgeSong won The American Society on Aging award for excellence in the field of aging. It currently operates three residential communities, two in San Francisco and one in Oakland. Bayside Park is one of two new residences in development; the other is in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood.