Building to meet the need: Construction starts on West Dundee's first assisted living and memory care center
Construction has started on what will be West Dundee's first assisted living and memory care center.
The Woodlands at Canterfield will offer 129 units - 91 for assisted living and 38 for memory care. The upscale facility along Route 31 near Angle Tarn Road is expected to be completed by spring 2023.
"West Dundee is a wonderful place to live and work, and there's a growing need for more quality senior living options here," said Jacob Wolfgang, director of development for Nelson Construction & Development. "People live their whole life in the village and shouldn't have to move just because they need help with daily activities."
The Iowa-based firm has built senior facilities in Iowa and Nebraska. West Dundee is the company's first in Illinois, according to the company's website.
The assisted living and memory care facility will sit on 9 acres off the west side of Route 31. Once complete, the facility will include a mix of one- and two-bedroom units and studio units. It will offer assisted living for residents who need some help with daily activities and memory care for those living with Alzheimer's or dementia, Wolfgang said.
"We don't have any other assisted living in West Dundee," said Tim Scott, West Dundee's director of economic development, planning and zoning and urban design. "That is one of the reasons this project has been met with great enthusiasm."
Scott said there was a similar project proposed off Route 72 about seven years ago by another developer, but it never came to fruition.
Nelson Construction & Development's proposal was approved in 2020. But construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott said.
Scott said the developer focused on developing a landscape, complete with courtyard areas that will blend in with the surrounding landscape.
Franciscan Ministries will provide health care services in the facility, Wolfgang said.
In addition to the apartments, the facility will offer a variety of amenities such as a large home theater, a salon, a pub and bistro, and game and activity rooms in shared common areas.
"Our focus is to do more than provide health care," Wolfgang said.