Maureen Kilar spent 39 years living in Palm Beach County, Florida, before she packed up and moved 2,696 miles across the country to Pasadena, becoming one of the first residents to move into MorningStar's brand-new five-story independent-living building. The 76-suite expansion at 995 S. Fair Oaks Ave. held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on October 1, with a reception running from 4 to 7 p.m. and the ribbon-cutting ceremony itself taking place at 5 p.m.
The new building sits adjacent to MorningStar's existing assisted-living and memory-care community at 951 S. Fair Oaks Ave., which the company has managed since 2020, according to Pasadena Now. The five-story addition represents the third and final phase of the overall complex, whose first two phases were completed back in 2003 and 2008. MorningStar first announced groundbreaking on the project in August 2024, and construction got underway shortly after, replacing a small office building and a warehouse that previously occupied the site.
Kilar told Pasadena Now that MorningStar staff helped her transition into her new residence, and that residents have been arriving at the building almost daily since the opening. The seed story reported that Kilar's cross-country move marked a major life change after nearly four decades in Florida, and that she now counts herself among the first wave of tenants to settle into the new tower.
A Finished Third Phase, Years in the Making
MorningStar's independent-living addition was designed by KTGY in collaboration with Aneka Interiors, with Snyder Langston serving as general contractor, per the company's own announcement on MorningStar Senior Living's website. The building spans five stories and includes 76 independent-living apartments, with floor plans as large as 1,255 square feet.
Similarly, MorningStar's announcement describes the expansion as an 89,382-square-foot structure, a figure that matches across the company's materials. Amenities inside include indoor and outdoor dining areas, a bistro, a theater, a club room, a fitness center, a pool and spa, terraces, and underground parking, with some common areas offering views toward the San Gabriel Mountains.
Company Roots and a Broader Senior-Housing Moment
MorningStar Senior Living was founded 23 years ago around what the company describes as a service-oriented approach to aging, with founder and CEO Ken Jaeger steering an effort the company says aims to address residents' social, emotional and spiritual needs while respecting different faith traditions. The Pasadena expansion arrives as national senior-housing occupancy has been climbing steadily, reaching 88.7 percent in the third quarter of 2025 — the 17th consecutive quarterly increase — while independent-living occupancy specifically hit 90.2 percent, according to Multi-Housing News. Annual inventory growth across the senior-housing sector, meanwhile, sat at just 0.7 percent in that same quarter, and the outlet notes that construction cycles nationally have stretched to an average of 29 months, meaning projects breaking ground in early 2026 are unlikely to open before 2028.
Pasadena's MorningStar expansion isn't the only senior-housing project moving through the pipeline locally. Other developments planned in the city include a project slated for a site a few blocks east near Arroyo Seco Parkway and a proposed complex on the parking lot of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, according to Urbanize LA.
MorningStar Senior Living can be reached at (626) 635-1210 for residents or families interested in the new Pasadena building. For Kilar, the move from Palm Beach County to the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains closes one chapter and opens another as she settles into her new community.
