Assisted living facility proposed for Mundelein
A company that operates assisted living centers in downstate Illinois wants to build one in Mundelein.
The Carriage Crossing facility has been proposed for a 7.5-acre site on the southwest corner of Midlothian Road and Courtland Street, on the village's northwest side.
Seventy-four assisted living apartments would be in a three-story section of the building, according to plans. Fourteen memory care apartments would be in a one-story building.
The facility would offer health care, dining services and activities, Carriage Crossing representative Brenda Hearn told the village board during a presentation this week.
"Our philosophy is to provide senior living experiences that meet the lifestyle needs and desires for seniors in every stage of living," said Hearn, the executive director of a Carriage Crossing facility in Champaign. "Residents are assured comfort (and) attentive care each day."
The company operates four facilities. Hearn called the company a "boutique type of assisted living" because it's smaller than some corporations in the industry.
"We know our residents by name, we know their families, we know their friends," Hearn said.
The site being eyed in Mundelein is vacant and zoned for residential development. It's east of the Orchard Meadows residential subdivision and south of Cambridge Country Park.
That park includes the Mundelein Park District's senior center, called the Regent Center.
Different developers proposed a housing complex on the land in 1999 and a senior living center there in 2008, but neither project materialized.
Mayor Steve Lentz said Carriage Crossing would be "a welcome addition to our community."
"You provide an amazing service," Lentz said. "We really need something like this there."
Trustee Ray Semple asked what impact the facility would have on Mundelein's ambulance services. Hearn said 911 calls at the company's other properties are rare, probably fewer than four a month.
Deputy Fire Chief Darren Brents said he's like to see data about ambulance calls at the company's existing facilities.
Trustee Bill Rekus expressed concern about the proposed three-story wing of the campus, saying it "might not blend in very well" with the nearby neighborhood and park. In response, Hearn said the company is open to creating a design that best serves the community.
The board took no formal action on the proposal. Members informally gave Hearn the go-ahead to proceed with plans.