Senior Living project in Vernon Hills gets underway

Daily Herald 12/1/2010 by Mick Zawislak

Tangible results of years of planning will get under way Thursday with the ceremonial groundbreaking of a long sought senior living project in Vernon Hills.

Village leaders and developers of the Victory Centre of Vernon Hills at 3p.m. will mark the beginning of construction of the $40 million project on Phillip Road near Atrium Drive.

The project will consist of two 5-story buildings, an apartment complex with 111 units and a supportive living facility with 120 spots.

“We’ve worked on it since 1993 in our strategic plan”, said Village Trustee Cindy Hebda, who was appointed to the board that year and has served since. “This was long overdue; certainly a need in our community.”

She said some seniors have had to leave Vernon Hills because they couldn’t afford to stay in their homes.

Information presented to the village in the past showed there were 2,400 or more age and income qualified seniors living within five miles of the site.

“We do anticipate the buildings will fill quickly,” said Pat O’Connor, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing for Pathway Senior Living LLC, which operates 10 senior communities in the Chicago area.

“We have had inquiries and we’re tracking them. We do have a list of people waiting for information.”

Lake County Residential Development Corp., a not-for-profit group is a partner in the project, which will be financed in large part through the sale of tax credits for low-income housing.

Developers in past presentations to the village have said 80 percent of the units in both buildings would be targeted to seniors with incomes about $32,000 per year or less.

Supportive Living is a state program created as an alternative to nursing home care. In this scenario, residents can receive help with necessities, such as assistance getting dressed, but does not offer skilled care.

There are no entry fees or deposits, and monthly fees are based on assets and income. Medicaid can be used to help pay those fees, O’Connor said.

“In regular assisted living, when you run out of money, you have to move,” she said.

The buildings will be built simultaneously, but getting them sited and approved was two years in the process. The village sold the land to developers at a discount and allowed them to exceed setback, density and height requirements.

The buildings will be built simultaneously and are scheduled to open early in 2012. They are located near the new Aspen Drive Library in Vernon Hills and will be connected by a walking path.