Supportive living facility proposed for vacant land in Des Plaines

Detailed plans for a new supportive living facility in Des Plaines will be unveiled publicly Tuesday night.

Heritage Woods of Des Plaines has been proposed for about 4 acres of vacant land at 2200 E. Golf Road. The four-story building would have 150 one-bedroom and studio units for people 65 and older who require help with routine activities, such as cooking, bathing or dressing.

Supported living facilities offer similar services as assisted living centers, but they also provide financial aid through Medicaid and other programs. Heritage Woods would serve people with incomes no greater than 80% of the median household income, documents indicate.

Mayor Andrew Goczkowski said the facility would fill a need in Des Plaines, giving people who are getting too old to live on their own a different option.

“I think it’s an important thing to have in our community,” Goczkowski said.

The site being considered is just west of Interstate 294 on the north side of Golf Road. It formerly was home to a business called United Stationers that operated on the site from 1984 to 2007, Des Plaines Senior Planner Samantha Redman said.

The United Stationers building was demolished in 2009. The site hasn’t been used since, Redman said.

A team of investors working as a limited liability company called Des Plaines Supportive Living is behind the proposal, city documents indicate.

The city’s planning and zoning board will review the Heritage Woods plans during a special workshop at 7 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, 1420 Miner St.

The developers will present preliminary concepts, answer questions and collect feedback. The board, which advises the city council, won’t take any action on the proposal.

But if the project moves forward, the city council will be asked to allow the facility’s construction in a residential district. The plan could be before the city council in February or March, Goczkowski said.

City officials will make more information about the plan available online at desplainesil.gov/workshops.