Twenty five years ago, Knoxville developer Rick Dover was looking for an assisted living facility for his grandfather and was not impressed.
"We couldn't quite find the place that I felt comfortable with for my grandfather. So we decided to create it," Dover said.
Since then, Dover Development Corporation has built nine facilities aimed at seniors by renovating historic buildings.
Tuesday, Dover officially opened Northshore Senior Living that will house 70 residents and includes independent living, assisted living and a memory care center on site.
Northshore Senior Living, located at 8804 S. Northshore Dr., is the first time Dover has been able to start from scratch.
"So we decided to put everything in this one we'd always wanted to do but never had the chance," he said.
At Northshore, they are catering to a new generation of seniors with a focus on social activities. The Pew Research Center estimates 10,000 Americans turn 65 every day.
It has luxurious amenities: lodge-style furnishings, in-house salon, a bar, billiards and a putting green.
The facility costs between $2,800 to $4,000 per month, which includes meals, laudry and transportation.
Dover said he works to create an atmosphere that he would want to live in.
Dover is in the process of opening two other facilities: 90 senior apartments at the historic Knoxville High School, set to open in the summer of 2017, and a 60 room assisted living and memory care center in the old South High School. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and will take up to 18 months.