New residents embrace benefits of independent living at La Secoya de El Castillo

Jun. 21—The big house was fine for a few decades, but the charm of failing appliances, roofs and windows, plus yard maintenance and the sense of isolation — even in a neighborhood or suburb — can wear thin in the empty-nest retirement years.

Older Americans have been downsizing for years — relocating to smaller houses, even embracing apartment life.

Many are taking apartment life to the next level, finding joy in the more structured setting of retirement life plan communities, including the new La Secoya de El Castillo, which opened in April in downtown Santa Fe at Paseo de Peralta and Old Taos Highway.

Or is it really that structured?

La Secoya has 68 independent living units for people 65 and older. They are akin to traditional high-end apartments. Tenants can be as independent as they want: cook for themselves, not know their neighbors, etc.

But La Secoya adds two basic elements that regular apartments don't offer: Kids don't have to keep an eye on their parents, as La Secoya has an emergency call system for medical care; and there is a sense of community, as the 85 residents who have moved into 58 units so far have quickly gotten to know one other.

"You have a certain amount of interaction to the point that you want to have interactions [with other residents]," said Al Jahner, CEO of El Castillo Retirement Residences, which owns and operates La Secoya de El Castillo and El Castillo retirement villages.

There's also a dining room with food service and a bistro with snacks. It's a reminder of ... dorm life.

"It's like going to college again," said Ben Larzelere III, a retired pastor.

"We're all freshmen!" his wife, Bev, a retired educator, added — noting everyone in the new facility has moved in since mid-April. The Larzeleres arrived in mid-May.

La Secoya de El Castillo has been the vision of Jahner for 15 years. It is the companion of El Castillo, the downtown retirement village on Alameda Street dating from 1971, with 115 independent living units, 21 nursing beds, 26 assisted living beds and 11 memory care beds.

Jahner, CEO since 1993, acquired the 2.52-acre lot from the Presbyterian Church in March 2017. The facility moved a 70-foot sequoia tree — the namesake of the complex — about 200 feet south and 100 feet west, and started construction on the 140-space underground garage in December 2019. A spring 2022 completion was predicted at that time and achieved, though Jahner later overoptimistically thought a fall 2021 movie-in could be achieved.

The $45 million project — funded by tax-exempt industrial revenue bonds — stayed on track even through the coronavirus pandemic, nationwide construction worker shortages and supply chain issues.

"We were extremely lucky," Jahner said. "We did our financing right before the pandemic hit. After getting the contractor in place, they were able to get a great deal of [construction] product before supply issues hit."

La Secoya has a fitness room for supervised workouts; a salon for haircuts, manicures and pedicures; a putting green; a landscaped courtyard with fire pit, a billiards room (yet to come), and a large community room with capacity for about 90 that can also double as an indoor pickleball court.

"That was my idea," Jahner said with a grin. "I just thought it's a novel idea to have an indoor pickleball court."

But Jahner said the community dynamic will be determined by the residents, not by a La Secoya/El Castillo checklist.

"Our programming is in its infancy," he said. "We are going to tailor all the programs for what they want."

Rich and Ginny Wiseman (and the Larzeleres) stepped away from decades in 3,000-square-foot homes. Both couples did estate sales, and the Larzeleres transported some belongings to Pennsylvania and Colorado.

"We think of it as an adventure as much as when we moved here in 1987," said Rich Wiseman, 71, a former copy editor at the Los Angeles Times who later worked with Ginny, 75, to make articulated wooden toys.

The Larzeleres previously lived 43 years in the same house near E.J. Martinez Elementary School. Bev Larzeleres, 75, loves the idea of living out her days within walking distance of the Lensic Performing Arts Center.

"It takes me seven minutes to get to the Lensic," she said.

The daily dining options simplify the grocery routine.

"We don't have to do as much shopping anymore," Rich Wiseman said.

The Wisemans and Larzeleres were interviewed as a group.

"I need my solitude, but I don't want isolation," Ben Larzeleres said, recalling the pitfalls of isolation from his pastor days.

But giving up a home and living in half the square footage?

"My parents had a place for 15 years like this setup," Ginny Wiseman said. "We got a feel for that kind of lifestyle. When it became time, we decided we could do it."

Rich Wiseman recalled when La Secoya started taking reservations in 2019.

"We're not ready," he said at that time but remembered a catch phrase: "Opportunity does not make appointments."

But the Wisemans had already been considering their retirement future since 2017.

"We did our life's arithmetic: What's next for us?" Rich Wiseman said. "What appealed to us about this concept is we have a special-needs daughter. We didn't want to stress our son about having to take care of us."

Bev Larzelere's math was more direct.

"I don't miss the maintenance of it all," she said about her old home.

"And the killer steps [at their former home]," Ben, 76, added.

Jahner said one appeal to living at La Secoya is all the neighbors are in the same age group with similar outlooks. All are pretty much in the same socio-demographic class, as the one-time entry fee is from $300,000 to $500,000 , with prepaid medical fees and depending on the size of the unit, which range from 894 to 1,485 square feet with one or two bedrooms. Some have a den.

"They move here so the kids don't have to make any decisions and where they get all the medical services as they age," Jahner said. "The bottom line is to make sure people feel comfortable."

On the way to their apartment, Bev Larzelere pointed out the sequoia tree next to their unit and the landscaping just outside their door.

"Look at this garden we don't have to take care of," she said.