120-unit building for adults with physical disabilities to open in Gurnee

The staff and future residents of a new 120-unit supportive-living facility for adults with physical disabilities in Gurnee are counting down until move-in day the first week of March.

Stonebridge of Gurnee, at 5980 W. Washington, will provide apartment-style living for adults with physical disabilities between the ages of 22 and 64, said Laura Kelly, the facility's executive director.

When it opens, Kelly said, it will be just the 10th facility of its kind in the state.

Most of those who will live at Stonebridge are coming from nursing homes intended for older people because those are the only facilities that provide the necessary nursing services, she said.

"At nursing homes, they're living with two to three people in their room," Kelly said. "Now they can have the grace of living in their own apartment."

Kelly said she's been getting four to six calls a day and roughly 40 people have filled out applications.

"We're very happy with the way our numbers are growing," she said.

Stonebridge will have studio and one-bedroom apartments with a staff of nurses and amenities that include medication management, activities and housekeeping.

"The most important thing is that they can live that dignified life that they are so entitled to," Kelly said.

To qualify to live at Stonebridge, applicants must be the right age, have a physical disability, receive social security disability income and either be on Medicaid or be qualified to receive Medicaid.

The plan to build Stonebridge first came to the village in 2015. Crews broke ground on the 6.5-acre site in 2016, and construction continued throughout 2017. The exterior construction work has been completed as well as the landscaping and crews are now finalizing interior work and installing furniture.

"We're very proud of the progress we've made despite the cold weather," Kelly said.

More information about Stonebridge is available at stonebridge-slf.com or by calling (847) 596-3211.