New senior community opens in Grayslake; more developments coming
Lake County's rapidly growing senior housing market has received its latest addition.
Travanse Living at Grayslake on Route 120 hosted a grand opening celebration Thursday. A bistro, fitness center, inviting common areas, massage rooms and a place to play cards and pool are among the amenities for residents of the 96-unit assisted living and memory care building.
CA Senior Living and Pathway Senior Living, both based in Chicago, combined on the Grayslake project. Pathway chief operating officer Maria Oliva said not only will there be quality care and amenities for the Travanse Living at Grayslake residents, but also programs that could include horseback riding and overnight camping.
"If you have a bucket list and there's things left, we're going to help you finish it," Oliva said. "If you don't have one and never had the opportunity to have one, our team is going to help you create that."
Grayslake Trustee Elizabeth Davies was among the elected officials who attended the festivities. She told the crowd the senior complex is a welcome addition to the Route 120 corridor near Route 45 that includes complementary uses such as medical facilities.
"The addition of Travanse assists the village in its goal of property tax diversification and in providing additional tax dollars for our local schools and other taxing bodies," Davies said.
At least five other senior communities in Lake County are expected to join Travanse Living early next year. Construction is occurring in earnest on the projects in Long Grove, Lake Zurich and Green Oaks.
CA Senior Living chief operating officer John Dempsey said the suburban market is far from saturated as the nation ages. He said many drawn to senior complexes want to relieve themselves of their homes and stay in their communities, or move to where their children live.
"We do a very in-depth market research," Dempsey said. "We do it ourselves. We look at the demographics, we look at the competition and the demand. And we don't just throw down sites. We make sure the math works. This (Route 120) site and that village of Grayslake was a target of ours for a while."
In Green Oaks, two senior independent and assisted living projects are targeting spring openings. Both of those projects are in special taxing zones meant to jump-start development in Green Oaks, Mayor Bernard Wysocki said.
The Sheridan at Green Oaks is rising on about 30 acres at the southwest corner of Waukegan and Atkinson roads on what had been known as the Hills. It will offer 198 units with independent and assisted living, as well as some memory support.
On Route 176 near 1-94, Green Oaks Senior Living will have 110 independent living apartments, 48 assisted living and 24 memory care units. Amenities will include a theater, wellness center, library, beauty salon and sky lounge. There also will be cottages on a lake and other amenities on a 15-acre site occupied for decades by the Jamaican Gardens nursery.
HarborChase plans to open in February at Route 53 and Old McHenry Road in Long Grove. Part of a special taxing zone similar to the one in Green Oaks meant to spur development, HarborChase will have 138 units for assisted living and memory care.
Arboria of Long Grove will be about a mile west of Harbor Chase on Route 53 near Long Grove Road. Arboria will have 100 units for memory care and assisted living.
Pathway's Azpira Place of Lake Zurich is set to open in the spring on six acres on the northwest corner of Rand Road and Samantha Lane. The 120-unit, three-story structure will be for supportive living renters 65 and older.
Among the senior living complexes to open in Lake County this year was the Solana in Deer Park. It has 180 units in two buildings for independent residents, assisted living and memory care with amenities including a wine bar, bocce court, swimming pool and putting green.