City Council advances memory care facility prioritizing personalized care

A proposed memory care and assisted living facility in Eden Prairie received initial unanimous approval from the City Council on Aug. 12 and faces one more vote next month.

The facility, called Aspen Estates, would be built at 9025 Aztec Drive and provide seniors a tight-knit community and homey environment, owner Bill Welch said. The home will have 15 units, with 75% designated for memory care.

Welch said construction is expected to begin in October and take about 10 months. Aspen Estates is projected to open in late summer 2026.

Eden Prairie’s senior population has surpassed its school-age children by about 1,000 people, according to the U.S. Census. Aspen Estates is intended to help accommodate that growing demographic.

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Aspen Estates will include a large living room where residents can spend time together in a family-like environment, Welch said.

Welch, who previously worked in software sales, said the idea for Aspen Estates came from helping his father transition into memory care. His family ultimately chose a large facility, which he believes was to his father’s detriment.

“I feel like we made a mistake by putting him into a bigger facility, because he was really isolated and got lonely, and it didn’t work for him,” Welch said. “His health declined really fast.”

Larger facilities with 50 to 150 units are generally less homey, creating an environment where residents don’t need to leave their rooms, Welch said. Some units have kitchens so residents can eat alone, reducing opportunities to socialize.

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Welch said loneliness can harm seniors’ physical and mental health, something he hopes to combat at Aspen Estates.

“Isolation is scientifically proven to speed up the advancement of Alzheimer’s, and it’s also proven to speed up the advancement of physical decline as well,” Welch said. “The whole reason the passion that I have for Aspen Estates is that they’re going to spend their days in the living room, in the kitchen area, together, in a regular home, like a family would.”

Welch said most larger memory care facilities have an 8-to-1 ratio of residents to staff, while Aspen Estates will have a 4-to-1 ratio. The smaller ratio will provide more personalized care to residents.

Welch said he and his wife will be taking on the endeavor together. 

“The care, not only the ratio, but also the personal attention we’re going to put into this, it’s going to be an extension of our family,” Welch said. “The care is going to be right up there, if not better than anywhere else in the Twin Cities. The care ratio is going to be unmatched.”