Huntley could become a hub for senior living options

Huntley might soon become the unofficial retirement capital of the Northwest suburbs.

Already home to the largest 55 and older active adult living community in the Midwest - Del Webb's Sun City - the village is being eyed by another resort-style senior living developer.

Lincoln, Nebraska-based Resort Lifestyle Communities is proposing a $30 million, 130-unit independent senior living community on roughly 9.6 acres along Powers Road east of Route 47.

The group owns and operates 12 all-inclusive, resort-style communities for adults 55 and older and is developing 26 additional facilities nationwide. With resorts in 23 states, Huntley would be the group's first venture in Illinois, though company officials also are considering property in Naperville.

Amenities at these communities include 24/7 concierge service, housekeepers, gourmet chefs, valet parking attendants and lifestyle directors.

Huntley Assistant Village Manager Lisa Armour said the group found Huntley attractive because of the proximity to Sun City.

The 2,300-acre Del Webb community off Route 47 is home to about 9,500 residents. It was the first Del Webb community to be built outside Arizona, Nevada and Florida. In 2015, it was dubbed one of the best places to retire in Illinois and the nation, and Sun City also offers resort-style luxuries such as fitness centers, pools and spas.

"They anticipate a good number of their occupants would come from Sun City when they get to the point they no longer want to maintain their own home," Armour said. "It's a nice addition. It doesn't generate any additional students for the schools but adds to their tax base."

Bob Lewis, director of development for Resort Lifestyle Communities, said the target demographic is people 75 and older.

"With the large Del Webb community now reaching approximately 20 years of age, that fits our model," he said. "Our residents are people who are ready to downsize. They no longer want the maintenance issues of ownership. They have lost a spouse. They have lost the ability to drive or they are just lonely."

The village plan commission will review the conceptual site plan for the project at 6:30 p.m. today in the village hall board room, 10987 Main St.

The proposed three-story building would contain four studio apartments, 72 one-bedroom apartments, 50 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom apartments. Single-story townhouses would have a minimum of 1,100 square feet of livable space, while all other units would be 1,500 square feet, documents show.

Monthly rents would be based on market prices with studios averaging roughly $3,000, two bedrooms running about $3,200 to $3,500 and three bedrooms running about $3,500 to $4,000, with an added $100 monthly fee for use of a garage.

"These are all-inclusive fees," Lewis said. "They include light housekeeping, maintenance, three meals a day, valet parking, concierge service, full-time live-in managers, full-time fitness directors, full-time chefs."

It also coves electric, cable and internet bills, shuttle bus service and a medical alert system. There would be no on-site health care or any subsidized housing allowed as part of the development.

Lewis said roughly half of residents at the group's other communities don't own a car, which is why the proposed site plan includes only 40 garage spaces and 120 surface parking spaces.

If approved, with a 14-month build-out, the resort would open in the fall of 2018. The group also proposes purchasing 30 acres at that location with the goal of developing townhouses or a second senior independent living facility.

Armour said the village now offers a complement of senior services with Centegra's new hospital and work started on Alden Realty Services' Huntley Horizon Senior Living Community north of Sun City.

The more than $51 million Alden project includes a 110-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility with an attached 60-bed memory care building, plus a 79-unit independent living complex for people 62 and older. The independent living portion would open in the fall of 2017.