Senior living approved for Zero Gravity teen club site
Zero Gravity in Woodridge is holding its final party as a teen dance club this weekend before the building is razed to make way for a new generation - senior citizens.
The club is expected to be demolished in the next two to three months so Cedarhurst Living can build a 100-unit senior housing center at 75th Street and Route 53.
As the club prepares for its final rave after nearly 21 years in business Sunday night, village board members in Woodridge have approved Cedarhurst's plans for a four-story, 99,560-square-foot building with 76 assisted-living apartments and 24 memory care units for residents with Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
Josh Stevens, president of Missouri-based Cedarhurst Living, said the facility will provide a new housing option for aging residents of the Western suburbs. Located next to Greene Valley Forest Preserve, he said the apartments could appeal to seniors who enjoy "serene views" of nature and being outdoors.
"We found that this area was in need of additional senior living to support the growing aging population," Stevens said.
Construction by Dover Development is expected to begin within three months so the apartments can be ready by fall 2017.
The facility will include 8,600 square feet on the ground floor for commercial uses complementary to the needs of seniors, such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, medical testing or doctor's offices, according to a report from the Woodridge community development department.
The 6-acre site also has been subdivided into three lots - the majority for the Cedarhurst building with two out lots along Route 53 for future retail development.
Stevens said developers will start on the retail buildings once the apartments are under construction.
Zero Gravity co-owner Paul Marek of Naperville said he is searching for another site to open a new teen dance club under a different name. He said he hopes to open a new venture by Thanksgiving.