The Kendal Corporation and the San Francisco Zen Center are collaborating for a second time, this time to bring a Zen-inspired life plan community to Simi Valley, CA.
Kendal says the community, Enso Verde, will be the first of its kind in the country’s second-largest market, Los Angeles. The project recently secured $29 million in bond financing, and the funds will be used for land acquisition, marketing and predevelopment activities.
The two entities also are partners in Enso Village, a Zen-inspired life plan community under construction in Healdsburg, CA, north of San Francisco, that has a target of opening this year.
Enso Verde will feature a “focus on mindful aging, environmental stewardship and healthy life choices for adults ages 60 and older,” according to Kendal. Plans include 300 independent living, assisted living and memory support residences on a 21-acre campus. There will be 20 affordable apartments for retired Zen and Quaker teachers and up to 24 units of workforce housing.
“Enso Verde’s Quaker and Zen-inspired values of kindness and compassion, inclusion, mindful aging and connection with the environment will help build a community where residents feel empowered to live an active and mindful life,” Amy Harrison, Kendal’s interim CEO, said in a statement.
The community will be designed, built and operated to high sustainability standards, with a goal of achieving net zero energy status. A vegetarian dining venue will offer a menu influenced by Greens Restaurant, a landmark eatery operated by the San Francisco Zen Center.
“The market is ready for unique approaches to retirement,” Kendal Chief Strategy Officer Steve Bailey said. Enso Verde also is committed to strategic partnerships with universities and other nonprofits to expand Kendal’s mission, he added.
