Building the second Cedarhurst Assisted Living community in the Metro East area has proved tougher than building the first, developer Joshua Jennings says. But he's relieved that construction is starting at last on the $12 million, 87-unit Cedarhurst of Shiloh project, after nearly nine months of delays caused by cold, wet weather and uncertain financing. And he says he's still planning to build up to four more assisted-living centers in the Metro East area.
 Construction on the Cedarhurst of Shiloh, an assisted living and memory care facility, began Wednesday. Left, Norm Price, superintendent with Baxmeyer Construction, discusses construction plans with excavator operator Steve Fournie. (Photo Credit: Emily Rasinski/P-D) |
"The first one in Collinsville we started before the world economy fell apart," Jennings said. He was talking about Cedarhurst of Collinsville, a $9 million, 68-unit assisted-living center he developed and which opened in July after almost a year of construction and more than two years of planning. About the time the Collinsville center opened at 1207 Vandalia Street, Jennings said, he had hoped ground would be broken on the more ambitious Shiloh project. The plans in Shiloh include a memory care wing for residents with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia — a feature that Cedarhurst of Collinsville doesn't have. But it took several months to resolve financing issues in Shiloh, and a bitterly cold, damp winter further complicated things. Financing eventually was obtained through Clayton-based Gershman Mortgage Co. Heavy construction equipment now is ready to roll on the Shiloh site, at 429 South Main Street.
"We're just gearing up," Jennings said. "The equipment got delivered to the site last week." There's also a trailer on site belonging to construction manager IMPACT Strategies Inc. of Fairview Heights, and work has begun to clear the land of brush and trees. The projected opening for the Shiloh center is January. The 76,278-square-foot facility is accepting reservations from prospective residents.
Four More Centers?
Despite the delays and a still-shaky economy, Jennings said he was upbeat about the future of assisted-living centers in the Metro East area. He says he wants to build four more, but he declined to say where. He said he was still developing plans and arranging financing and that two of those projects could be announced this year. "Everything's just going slowly on those plans right now," he said.
The Collinsville center was built and opened with few delays, and it now has about a 70 percent occupancy rate, Jennings said. He said that's about what he expected for the first year for the private-pay facility, which has no residents on Medicaid, and that he was pleased with its operations to date. Metro Asset Group, owned by Jennings, is developing Cedarhurst of Shiloh in conjunction with J2K Development, a Shiloh-based real estate development and management firm. Plans call for a three-story assisted living building offering studio and one-bedroom apartments. Initial rental rates will range from about $2,100 to $3,700 monthly. That includes meals, utilities (except for telephone service) and all activities costs. The single-story memory care wing will be attached to the main building and will cover about 20,000 square feet. Rental rates have yet to be established for the memory care unit, Jennings said.
Aiding Dementia Patients
He said the wing was designed to have no dead-end hallways, so that dementia patients who tend to wander wouldn't become frustrated by reaching a dead-end. The wing also will have high ceilings, designed to keep residents from feeling boxed in, he said.
The assisted-living part of Cedarhurst of Shiloh will have community rooms, craft and activity spaces, a library, wellness center, fitness room, a beauty and barber shop, resident laundry rooms and private and common dining areas. Residents will have personalized care plans, weekly housekeeping, scheduled transportation and planned activities and events. The facility will be operated by Oregon-based Frontier Management LLC, which also operates Cedarhurst of Collinsville.