Senior apartments set to open

138-unit Genesis Village got $6M rehab after its hotel days

8/24/2013

After spending seven months and $6 million on renovations, a 138-apartment living complex for seniors located on the site of a former South Toledo hotel and conference center will officially open to the public on Sunday.

Genesis Village, a project developed by local businessman Jim Oedy and his partner, Dr. Nathan Hill, actually received its first tenants in July, well ahead of its grand opening scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. at the the complex.

But even though tenants were eager to settle into their new home a month ago the complex was far from finished, Mr. Oedy said.

“When we opened in July we had all the residence areas done, but we had to work on the pool and some other things, a fireplace lounge, a cafe, a media center,” he said. “The people wanted to move in anyway and said, ‘We don’t care about those things because we never had them before.’

“I guess it’s not a big deal if you never had them,” Mr. Oedy said with a laugh.

Genesis Village, which features moderately-priced, one and two-bedroom apartments, is at 2429 Reynolds Rd.

It was the Genesis Dreamplex Hotel and Conference Center until 2012.

For its first 27 years, the 170,000-square-foot complex, which was built in 1968, was a Holiday Inn and afterward a Ramada Inn and a Quality Hotel.

Mr. Oedy and Dr. Hill bought the place in January for $3 million and immediately began renovations.

“It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, for the sheer volume and amount of time it took to put it all together,” Mr. Oedy said. “You’re basically rebuilding a run-down hotel.

  "We were two months away from it being an ugly parking lot and it took a lot to turn it around, but we were very blessed to be able to pull it off, and there were a lot of people involved.”

Mr. Oedy said he always imagined a senior complex that would have more amenities than typically offered.

“When I walk through the place today it’s beyond what I thought it could be,” he said.

“You don’t really know for sure how all this stuff’s going to turn out because you’re inventing it as you go along. But I guess it couldn’t have turned out better.”

The experience, he added, has made him contemplate doing two more such projects within the next five years.

Genesis Village has a pool, whirlpool, sauna, locker rooms, a fireplace lounge, library, fireside cafe, media center, a chapel and prayer room, visiting areas, an atrium, courtyards, an organic garden and a home health care facility.

Apartments are renting for $1,500 to $2,800 a month.

“What we’re finding is that whether you’re 65 or 85, if you’re energetic and like to interact with people, this is your place. If you like to sit and read — not so much,” Mr. Oedy said.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.