Clark-Lindsey expansion: On budget, on schedule | News | news-gazette.com – Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette

URBANA — The mild winter to date has made it possible to keep the building expansion at Clark-Lindsey Village on schedule and on budget.

“Construction is going well,” said Ron Wilcox, vice president of resident services. “Everything is on schedule, and we still anticipate Phase One being completed in June.”

Clark-Lindsey is currently a 27-acre continuing care retirement community with independent living units, shelter care units and a skilled care nursing facility. Established in 1978, it features 147 units of independent living, 12 units of memory care and assisted living and 105 beds of skilled nursing.

The first phase of a $8.8 million four-phase expansion plan on the southeast quadrant of the property will include two new independent living villa-style buildings, a new grounds building and the completion of Berns Drive, a loop road accessing the quadrants of the campus. The current villas are in four buildings, each with four units, and the next eight will be in two four-unit buildings.

The new villas will be 1,700 to 2,000 square feet, all on one level with attached garages.

The road connection is completed, Wilcox said, and the framing is up on both units.

“The mild winter has helped,” Wilcox said. “Our goal was to get the frame up and enclosed so the tradesmen could work inside before the weather gets too bad. Other than a few rainy days in the fall and a couple of really cold days earlier in January, the weather has been great and has helped us.”

Broeren Russo Builders of Champaign is the contractor for the project.

“They have been great about locking in prices, and so the rise in building materials hasn’t had a negative impact,” Wilcox said. “We have been making decisions and moving forward without a lot of surprises there, other than the supply-chain issues, which always cause a few hiccups. But we are doing OK.”

The new buildings are being constructed with high-quality materials, such as engineered wood siding, brick and metal wall paneling. The roofs will be pitched to help match the architectural character of the surrounding neighborhood. The apartment-style buildings will incorporate first-floor covered parking for residents, and additional parking will be added throughout the site.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not interfered with the project.

“With the construction being outside, we haven’t had many issues,” Wilcox said. “We continue to take precautions and we wear masks anytime we are inside or close proximity to the builders. I am not aware of any staffing issues on the construction team either. The fact that it is on time is probably testimony to the fact that they can get folks in there to work on the project.”

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) offer a tiered approach to senior housing, also known as “aging in place.” When an individual joins a CCRC, they do not purchase or rent their housing, but instead hold membership in a campus of housing options based on the level of care necessary.

For residents, this means that they can choose to live in independent units when less personal care is needed. If assistance with everyday activities becomes necessary, they can transition into assisted living or nursing care facilities on the same campus. On-site amenities for residents include a restaurant-style dining room, recreation areas, an exercise room, a small grocery store, a beauty shop, a library, and a crafts room. Additional Clark-Lindsey Village services for residents include transportation to supermarkets and other destinations, and on-site banking services.

The second phase, located in the southwest quandrant, will include construction of the three-story apartment-style assisted living building and improvements to the health care wing. There will be a combined 64 memory care and assisted living units in the new building, with first floor covered parking. The two residential buildings on the southern edge of the site will remain. This phase will also replace the carports that are on-site now. There are currently three access drives on the Race Street side of the development. One access drive will be closed to consolidate ingress and egress traffic, improving safety for people using the multi-use path along Race Street.

“We expect to start construction in late summer or early fall and have that done in the fall of 2023,” Wilcox said.

The three-story apartment-style independent living building and the expansion of the wellness center will be completed in Phase Three, in the northwest quandrant. The independent living building will include 48 units, with first-floor covered parking. Three wings of the nursing care facilities will be removed.

“The existing wellness center will be expanded to include additional amenities and a new auditorium space that will seat up to 200 people,” Wilcox said.

The fourth phase will include the completion of the north parking lot. There is currently a circular drive and angled parking in the north parking lot. Phase Four will restructure the parking lot and add parking.

That project is expected to be completed in 2025.