Almost every day, I drive into downtown on 394. Whether I’m stuck in traffic or flying by, it’s hard not to notice all the interesting multi-story developments along the way.

When Talo — a massive, modern apartment complex with the city’s “only lazy river” — rose up, I was intrigued. I looked up at it daily, imagining what it would be like to be in my 20s or 30s and sitting riverside or carousing on the rooftop deck!

Well, now I have a new source of intrigue — Global Pointe Senior Living — right next door.

I’ve been watching this five-story, 99-unit senior community rise for months now and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in housing, especially senior housing.

Its architecture, for one thing, stands out: On the top story, European-style dormers — the kind you might see in a Parisian mansard roof — peek out from all sides. It also boasts an enormous five-story brick chimney with a dramatically fluted top.

What is this place? 

It turns out, Global Pointe is a passion project for the owner/developer, hometown boy Mark Globus.

While searching for senior housing for his mother — and not finding anything that quite lived up to his expectations — the idea to build a place for her was born.

Globus wanted to create “a refined and luxurious environment that was big enough to deliver excellent care and amenities, but still small enough for neighbors to become friends,” said marketing director Mary Bunnell.

Globus — as the managing director at Minneapolis-based Global One Commercial, the project’s developer — knew how to make it happen.

St. Louis Park-based SilverCrest will manage and operate Global Pointe with a resident-focused, health-forward philosophy while offering a continuum of care that allows residents to transition from independent-living apartments to assisted-living and memory-care wings as needed.

Global Pointe, despite the old-world architecture of its exterior, will be as contemporary and sophisticated as its neighbor, Talo, with luxury modern finishes and high-end common spaces, including a lobby with a living moss wall and a four-season porch that leads to the rooftop veranda with outdoor fireplace, to name a few.

Construction is expected to be completed in late October with residents moving in as early as mid-November.

And now I have another place in Golden Valley in which I can imagine myself living — eventually.

Global Pointe Senior Living

Where: 5200 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley

Opening date: November 2019

There’s a waiting list for reservations for independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments.

Ages: 55 and older

Number of units: 99 units, including studios, 1 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms and 1- and 2-bedroom/den units.

COST RANGE for a single resident: $1,900–$7,800 a month, depending on apartment size and care needs. All units include utilities, phone, Internet, wifi, cable, wellness center access, scheduled transportation, programs, activities and events.

Property operator: SilverCrest Properties of St. Louis Park. SilverCrest also manages Parkshore in St. Louis Park, Village Shores in Richfield, Summit Place in Eden Prairie, Kingsley Shores in Lakeville, SilverCreek on Main in Maple Grove, Brightondale in New Brighton and Shorewood Senior Campus in Rochester.

Info: 763-235-3468, globalpointeseniorliving.com. To learn more, visit the community’s showroom at The Shops at West End, 1668 West End Blvd., St. Louis Park, featuring floor plans for each apartment style (all named for famous cities around the globe), fabric swatches, paint colors, fixture samples and more.

Amenities and activities

• High-end lobby area and common spaces
• Highly skilled on-site care team including physical therapists
• Stainless appliances, granite countertops and private laundry
• Chef-prepared meals made from fresh ingredients, served in a formal dining room and a more casual bistro
• Wellness center with specialized cardio and strength equipment, personalized fitness programs, exercise classes and personal trainers
• Full-service salon and spa
• Four-season porch
• Rooftop veranda with an outdoor fireplace
• Dedicated spaces for entertaining guests
• Art studio
• Life enrichment and activities room
• Billiards
• Library
• Movie theater
• Gardens
• Business center
• Heated, indoor parking and storage.

Do you know of a new or interesting senior housing facility in the Twin Cities that might make a good Housing Spotlight? Write Minnesota Good Age editor Sarah Jackson at [email protected] with the subject line Housing Spotlight.