Grand Rapids Senior Living Organization Launches Major Expansion Project
Financing, Construction Underway at Brio Living Services' Porter Hills Village
Senior living organization Brio Living Services announced that financing has been secured, and construction is underway for its $130 million project serving older adults at Porter Hills Village, located at 3600 E. Fulton Street in Grand Rapids.
“I am delighted to share that we have closed on financing with Huntington Bank for this transformational project,” Brio Living Services President & CEO Steve Fetyko said. “Huntington Bank continues to be an incredible partner in bringing projects to life for the older adults we serve at Brio.”
“At Huntington Bank, we are honored to partner with Brio Living Services on this transformational investment in Porter Hills Village,” said Lauren Davis, President, West Michigan Huntington Bank. “This project reflects Brio’s unwavering commitment to person-centered care and vibrant aging, values that deeply resonate with our mission to make a positive difference in the communities we serve. By helping bring this vision to life, we’re ensuring that older adults in West Michigan have access to exceptional care and modern living spaces for generations to come.”
Brio Living Services is also partnering with Ziegler as its investment banking firm for this project, according to Fetyko.
Ziegler Senior Managing Director Tom Meyers noted, “Ziegler is very proud to be in association with Brio and its strong legacy of caring for seniors from shore-to-shore across Michigan. Brio’s 2025 financing for the Porter Hills Village repositioning project represents Ziegler’s seventeenth time serving Brio or one of its progenitor organizations. At this moment in time, it is extremely important that organizations continue to invest in their physical operations to remain relevant in the marketplace as Baby Boomers continue to enter into the senior living service markets. Brio’s investment in this key campus will help secure its future in Western Michigan for years to come.”
The scope of this transformational project is a 250,000 square foot building to replace the existing assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing buildings, and the construction of an additional 57 independent living apartments, called The Flats, to meet the continued growing demand in Grand Rapids, per Fetyko.
“The core portion of Porter Hills Village has served this community with a continuum of care since 1970, providing a bedrock of exceptional, nonprofit, faith-based senior living in Grand Rapids,” said Fetyko. “Now is the time for a replacement building that will serve the community for the next 50 years—for the 400 older adults who call Porter Hills Village home, now and in the future, and for the 250 Brio team members who make their careers here.”
Brio Living Services has executed a construction contract with EV Construction, with the expansion designed by Grandville-based architect, The Architectural Group (TAG). Fetyko stated, “I am delighted to once again partner with EV Construction and TAG. Their expertise is critical to us bringing this project to fruition.”
“EV is proud to serve Brio in its mission of enriching the lives of seniors in Michigan. Projects like this also increase the housing stock in our area, filling a great need in the community,” said John Parker, Vice President of EV Construction.
The UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation, the fundraising arm for Brio Living Services, recently announced the public launch of its $28 million Live Life with Brio comprehensive campaign to assist with this project and to support the Foundation’s four fundraising pillars: Capital Improvements, Team Member Investment, Program Investment, and Benevolent Care, the cornerstone of the UMRC-Porter Hills Foundation, according to the Foundation’s President & CEO, Kelli Smith, CFRE.
“Our Foundation plays a key role in supporting a portion of the building and programming costs to allow us to go above and beyond in delivering the exciting spaces, care, and services that support a meaningful life for older adults,” said Smith.
Construction of the new Porter Hills Village building is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
“We are continually exploring ways to ensure we provide the best possible environment for older adults to live and thrive,” said Fetyko. “We are thrilled to have work well underway to position Porter Hills Village to continue to be the wonderful home it has been, for the last 55 years, in support of vibrant aging in Grand Rapids. I am grateful to our partners for their part in helping Brio Living Services realize its vision of a world in which all are empowered to age well.”
