A new seven-story senior community with 200 units for residents has opened in Fairfax City.
Brightview Northfax, located at 10575 Northfax Street, held a grand opening and began moving in new residents on July 7.
The new building offers 110 independent living apartments, another 64 apartments for two different types of assisted living, and 26 memory care suites. It has access to the Cue bus, a movie theatre, art studio, fitness studio, cafe, and outdoor areas, including patios and gardens. Staff also hope to set up a partnership with George Mason University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
“A lot of people do love our location because we are, you know, very central,” said Bianca Butoi-Patru, community sales director. “A lot of older adults that are moving here, they’re either been Fairfax City residents all their lives, or they have children that live in the Northern Virginia area, and this is the midpoint for them.”
The community, now at 23 percent capacity, is open to independent living residents. After loose ends are tied up, it will be open to assisted living for those who need help managing medications or mobility support, gallery assisted living that may be a good fit for a couple when one person needs more assistance than the other, plus memory care for people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
One of the other things that differentiates the community is its monthly rental model, which does not include a long-term commitment.
The new building comes at a time when the senior population is expected to grow significantly over the coming years: Outside of city limits, Fairfax County expects its senior population to grow from about 190,000 today to about 320,000 by 2045.
“As far as I know, we’re the only [independent] senior living community that is within the city limits … So I think we’ll definitely be an option and top of mind for anyone that is looking for senior care,” said Butoi-Patru.
She added that one of the things that may draw people to Brightview is the ability to have a community nearby, with access to amenities and programs tailored to their interests.
“In my career, I’ve seen a big shift — especially since COVID, people are leaning towards more of this type of living, so that way they can [have] more meaningful and more stimulating lifestyles,” said Butoi-Patru.
Brightview also has senior communities in Herndon, Annandale, Fair Oaks, Great Falls and Alexandria, in addition to dozens of other locations in the Mid-Atlantic and along the East Coast.
