The Whitcomb Senior Living Residence has been sold and will remain a senior living facility with expanded focus and upgraded facilities.
The new owners, Whitcomb Senior Living Tower, confirmed the purchase to MoodyOnTheMarket.com late Tuesday, saying they are “super-excited to join the St. Joseph community.”
Prabhjot (Jay) Singh and his wife, Dr. Navneet Kaur own the new company. They are residents of Kalamazoo and expect to be on-site at the Whitcomb daily and involved with residents care and the operation of the facility. Day to day management will continue to be handled by Whitcomb Executive Director/Administrator Tim Hayes.
Singh told MOTM that they have about three years of experience in the ownership and operation of senior living facilities in North Carolina, where they lived until recently. Singh said they moved back to Kalamazoo to be closer to family and were looking for a business opportunity in the senior care field when “the Whitcomb opportunity fell into our lap.” Singh said he and his wife have the background, experience and firm commitment to build on the 50-year heritage of the Whitcomb and improve it going forward.
The Whitcomb has been owned for more than 15 years by a group of investors with Chicago area and Southwest Michigan ties, West Coast Management. WCM was headed by managing partner Eric Hansen. There had been rampant speculation in recent months that the Whitcomb would be sold and redeveloped as a boutique hotel. That is not happening.
Singh told us they will immediately begin planning upgrades of the Whitcomb facilities and the overall feel and appearance of the building’s interior. Where appropriate, it will be modernized, he said, but with careful commitment to maintaining the Whitcomb’s historic ambiance and look. And he announced proudly that the Whitcomb has been newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In a formal statement, Singh and Kaur said they take the Whitcomb’s legacy very seriously:
“ The Whitcomb will continue to remain locally owned and operated as it has been for the past 50 years. The current lease, term of lease, and correspondence address will remain in effect. The incredible professional staff, caregivers, food service agency, and support staff will remain in place to continue to serve all residents in need of care.”
One recent aspect of the Whitcomb’s public life WILL change. The popular Whitcomb Veranda will no longer be a public event venue. Singh said their renovation plans include “reclaiming” the veranda for use by Whitcomb residents. “This is their home and they should have the full use of it,” said Singh. The Veranda had become “Wedding Headquarters” in downtown St. Joseph over the past ten years.
Administrator Tim Hayes explained that weddings and other events booked for 2022 were notified last year, under the former ownership, that things were changing with the Veranda. It’s his understanding there are no events still booked for the upcoming season. Hayes declined to speculate if the Whitcomb had been ‘For Sale’ since last year, saying the previous owners did not share their plans with him, beyond the change in policy on weddings and events.
While ending the public events business, Singh emphasized that he wants the Whitcomb to be a key component of life in downtown St. Joseph. He called the building “a Crown Jewel” of St. Joe and recalled coming here as a child from Kalamazoo and gazing up at the Whitcomb from Silver Beach. Now, he is the owner and the chief steward of its future.
As for the future of senior care, Singh believes there is opportunity ahead as the Baby Boomer generation ages into that phase. He told us the Whitcomb will fully develop its multi-level care model, which he termed “Aging In Place”. New residents may come to the Whitcomb seeking Independent Living. Over time, they may require Assisted Living. And some may eventually require Memory Care. He plans to offer the best of all three levels of care at the Whitcomb.
Singh outlined the new owners’ mission this way in his written statement:
“The Whitcomb Senior Living Tower’s mission stands on three pillars: to serve the residents, staff, and community. We aim to provide a safe and interactive communal environment for our residents, to empower our staff to exceed expectations, and to foster community connections. Everyone can be assured that the Whitcomb Senior Living Tower team will continue to put forth all efforts to meet our fundamental goal of exceeding expectations. We certainly believe we are in a position to meet our goals and to serve the community of St. Joseph that has continued to support The Whitcomb.”
Currently the facility has a capacity of approximately 130 residents and is about 60% occupied. About 40 persons are on the Whitcomb staff.
In reaffirming their commitment to operating a senior living facility Singh and Kaur declined to speculate on whether a previous potential buyer had plans to transform the Whitcomb into a boutique hotel or condominium units. MOTM had heard from several unrelated sources over several months that such plans were in the works, with one even naming a very viable boutique hotel brand. Downtown business owners we spoke to about those rumors generally like having the Whitcomb in its Senior Living role, so they will likely be applauding today’s news and the plans outlined by Singh and Kaur.
photo credit: CK Catering
