At the recently opened Affinity at Mirabeau retirement complex, residents take the lead in planning celebrations, holidays, happy hours, and other activities.

“It really is a community. It’s people coming together as neighbors, and they become friends,” says community director Amanda Zagelow.

Located in Spokane Valley’s Mirabeau neighborhood, at 13525 E. Carlisle, Affinity at Mirabeau sits just south of the Spokane River and the Centennial Trail. In addition, CenterPlace Regional Events Center, which houses the Spokane Valley Senior Center, is west of and across Mirabeau Parkway from the new retirement complex. 

That senior center serves lunch every day and offers other activities, says Zagelow. 

The planned Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center also will be in the neighborhood, she notes.

Because of the nearby amenities, Zagelow says, “You don’t really need to drive.”

Affinity at Mirabeau has a total of 180,000 square feet of space and is located on 6 acres of land. The $25 million project was constructed by Spokane-based development company Inland Group.

Since opening in August, Affinity at Mirabeau is at 75% capacity, says Zagelow. She expects it will be occupied fully within the next 60 days and says the facility is meeting its revenue projections, although she declines to disclose specific revenue figures.

The four-story main building has 170 living units. Floor plans include 495-square-foot studio apartments, one-bedroom apartments with between 700 and 800 square feet of living space, and two-bedroom apartments that range from 790 to 1,200 square feet of space.

Studio apartments, all of which are currently occupied, rent for $1,700 a month, says Zagelow. One-bedroom apartments rent for about $2,000 a month, and rents for two-bedroom apartments range from $2,400 to $2,700 a month, she says.

As an active-adult community, Affinity at Mirabeau doesn’t offer meals or transportation, and each room is equipped with a full kitchen, washer-dryers, a garbage disposal, and other appliances.

The price of the room includes all utilities, maintenance, and access to community amenities, says Zagelow.

Amenities include a dog-wash spa, a crafts studio, a woodworking shop, a dog park, a game room, a billiards room, a 25-seat theater, Dilly Dally’s Pub, a fitness center, and—picking up on a national trend—a pickleball court.

“A lot of people who move into the community are leaving their big homes and giving up their crafts room and workshops,” notes Zagelow. Affinity at Mirabeau’s staff encourages residents to bring their tools and crafts and continue their hobbies at the retirement community.

“Bring some of those tools here. You have a workshop here,” she says. “You don’t have to worry about the stress of keeping that up at home, and it still allows people to keep the hobbies they love.”

A resident-workshop ambassador keeps the space clean and offers help when needed, says Zagelow.

Other employees include a movie theater programmer who creates and updates a theater schedule and an art instructor who teaches watercolor and oil painting. A resident committee also organizes events such as the Great Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve party, and its upcoming celebration, ’60s Lovefest—A Groovy Valentine’s Day.

“We support them by purchasing the decorations they need,” says Zagelow. “But they put on the whole party.”

For the more active crowd, there are walking groups, fitness instructors, water aerobics classes, and a water volleyball team that practices and plays at the onsite indoor saltwater pool and spa.

Zagelow says the support staff at Affinity at Mirabeau includes three office employees, a home-maintenance team, and a common-area cleaner.

“We are not here to tell people what to do, how to live their lives,” says Zagelow. “We want you to come to Affinity and live your life. We are here to support you.”

Zagelow says the community has active residents ranging in age from 62 to 90, some of whom are still working full time.

Affinity at Mirabeau is the 27th Affinity facility to open across seven states, and the fourth in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area. Residents who wish to travel can take advantage of the Affinity Travel Program. Each Affinity retirement community has guest suites that residents from other Affinity facilities can book for $45 a night in locations that include Bellingham, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Austin, Texas.

“You book it just like you would a hotel room,” says Zagelow.

For family members visiting Affinity guests, the nightly rate is $75.

As an active-adult community, Affinity doesn’t offer medical care or assisted-living services. However, residents may bring in their own service providers or spend time at a skilled-nursing facility for rehabilitation, if needed, says Zagelow. Nearby medical services include Kaiser Permanente Veradale Medical Center, Providence Medical Park-Spokane Valley, Providence Urgent Care-Spokane Valley, Walgreens Pharmacy, and Rite Aid Pharmacy.

“You can live here and bring in care,” says Zagelow. “There’s lots of options, it just depends on the individual.”

Zagelow says Affinity at Mirabeau residents come from as far as Connecticut, Texas, California, and Florida. Many of the residents, however, are born-and-raised Spokanites who’ve returned to the area to be closer to family or to live where they grew up.