Apartment leasing with affordable rents is under way at Montclare Senior Residences of Avalon Park on the South Side.

The new rental development was designed for older adults seeking a lifestyle with social, educational and health/wellness activities on a regularly scheduled basis, said co-developer Philip Mappa, partner in MR Properties LLC.

The recently completed seven-story building, at 1200 E. 78th St., has a total of 102 apartments for senior renters 55 years and older. Studios rent from $366 to $575. One-bedroom apartments lease from $512 to $795. To qualify, residents must meet federal-income limits.

The current income limits range from $7,920 to $36,180, depending on the number of occupants and the unit type. The first renters will move in in early November. Senior apartment renters at the Montclare will enjoy a wide range of activities, programs, classes, day trips and entertainment.

"Active residents here aren't slowing down as they head into their golden years -- there's too much to do," said Mappa.

The Montclare has a fitness room that is available 24 hours a day and offers exercise to videos on weekdays and weekly chair yoga workouts. Medical services, including monthly blood pressure screening, health and wellness seminars and weekly consultations with a physician, are available.

Outings and trips are scheduled weekly, including visits to museums, theaters, day cruises, parks and conservatories. There also are scheduled shopping trips to grocery stores and malls each week via the development's own bus.

Other services offered on-site include a beauty/barber shop, banking services and an office center with free Internet access, computers, printers and a copy machine. There also is a library, including an ocular reading machine for those with visual impairments.

Residents also can take on-site classes such as art and drawing, jewelry-making, memoir writing and computer lessons. Other highlights include: bingo and sing-a-longs, movies on the weekends and monthly birthday celebrations.

"Oh boy! This is just what I needed," said Annie Foster, 70, who will move into a one-bedroom apartment in early November at the Montclare.

"This is an affordable apartment and I'm looking forward to using the amenities, especially the security features and the office area, exercise room and laundry facilities. Plus, it has transportation to the stores, which I really like," said Foster.

Foster, who now lives in a second-floor apartment in the Chatham area, also says she'll enjoy using the elevators at the Montclare. "Right now, whenever I go grocery shopping, I have to carry groceries up two flights of stairs. With elevators, it'll be a lot easier."

Making new friends at the new rental building is another attraction for Foster. "When you get to my age, your children go off with their families and you're alone. The Montclare will give me a new social life and I'll be spending time with my new peers. Also, with all the amenities on-site, it will give me an incentive to get out and do more things," Foster said.

Developers of the Montclare have also contracted with Heartland Human Care Services, a non-profit organization that will provide Montclare residents with services such as financial and social counseling.

Apartments at the Montclare have a complete kitchen with full-size refrigerator, electric stove, microwave oven and dishwasher. The apartments also feature spacious closets with separate storage lockers, carpeting, mini-blinds on all windows and individually controlled heating and cooling.