New memory care facility proposed for Arlington Heights

A new memory care facility with 72 beds has been proposed for the Rand Road corridor in Arlington Heights.

The proposed facility, which would be built on 4 acres at 511 W. Rand Road by Koelsch Senior Communities, was recommended by the village plan commission this past week.

According to village documents, the Olympia, Washington-based company proposes a one-story 38,685-square-foot building for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Koelsch operates 23 senior living communities in seven states, including a similar project in Northbrook that is expected to open this year.

The Arlington Heights project would include a mix of private and semiprivate rooms, a central courtyard, two nurses' stations, a beauty salon and dining room. Four units would be set aside for spouses of patients, according to the report.

The building will create approximately 40 medical jobs in Arlington Heights, according to the planning department's report.

Before it can be built, the village board will have to rezone the property from residential to institutional, and approve a preliminary planned unit development and a comprehensive plan amendment.

While Arlington Heights has several other nursing homes and senior living communities, Planning and Community Development Director Charles Perkins said the only other facility in town solely dedicated to memory care is Autumn Leaves, which opened at 1625 S. Arlington Heights Road last year.

"We have a population that is aging nationwide so there are going to be more and more senior facilities being proposed," Perkins said. "Not just in Arlington Heights, but in the region."

Perkins said the project will likely be in front of the village board for approval next month.