Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community is launching a $7 million expansion, adding independent living apartments to its complex in west Lawrence.

Pioneer Ridge, 4851 Harvard Road, plans to start construction this fall on a building that will have 60 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The project will be along the east side of Wakarusa Drive, between Pioneer Ridge’s existing center and north of the Stepping Stones child care center.

The project will fulfill Midwest Health Management Inc.’s plans to serve all three segments of the retirement-care market. Pioneer Ridge opened in 2001 with 60 health care beds and another 60 assisted-living apartments.

Now, with the independent-living apartments, Pioneer Ridge officials say they will be able to offer residents an opportunity to live on campus throughout their golden years.

This is an architectural rendering of a planned million expansion at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community, where construction of a building with 60 independent-living apartments is scheduled to begin this fall. This view looks east across Wakarusa Drive.

Whether it’s a couple looking to shed residential worries when embarking for a long vacation or a recent widow left unable to handle the full responsibilities of living alone, the new apartments will provide residents a chance to maintain independence while enjoying the security of meal plans, housekeeping services, social outings and other “full-service” amenities, said Debbie Walker, director of assisted living.

“Our goal is to bring in a quality senior option that will allow people to become part of the Pioneer Ridge community,” Walker said. “As different needs arise, they’re connected to our family and we can service them with whatever they need.

“We’ve had many people ask us about senior independent living, and we’re really trying to satisfy the requests of the community.”

The apartments also will allow Pioneer Ridge to better compete with Brandon Woods Retirement Community, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor and Prairie Commons – other Lawrence retirement communities that already offer options for independent living.

The new building is designed to be two-and-a-half stories tall, covering 34,500 square feet on the main level. Several new parking lots will provide 95 parking spaces, accessible from Wakarusa Drive using a driveway shared with Stepping Stones.

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Topeka-based Midwest Health Management has 28 retirement communities centers in Kansas. They are in Lawrence, Topeka, Olathe, Leawood, Lenexa, Lansing, Leavenworth, Valley Falls, Auburn, Manhattan, Alma, Salina, Halstead, Wichita and Garden City.

In 2000, when Midwest Health started construction of its initial $14.5 million Pioneer Ridge project in Lawrence, the company had 10 retirement communities in the state.