New assisted living facility proposed on North Bowman Avenue

Jan. 19--DANVILLE -- A new 74-unit assisted living and memory care facility is planned for about 22 acres of land north of Life Church along Bowman Avenue.

Charleston-based Phillips Investments LLC is requesting the rezoning of the land north of 2105 N. Bowman Ave. from agriculture to R4 multiple-family residential zoning to construct the facility.

The Danville Area Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the request at its 5:15 p.m. Feb. 1 meeting at the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building, 17 W. Main St.

According to a press release about the project from Linda Snyder, regional development director with Villas of Holly Brook & Reflections, The Villas of Holly Brook assisted living community and Reflections Memory Care will be an "upscale private pay 50-unit assisted living with an integrated 24-unit memory care community."

The 65,000-square feet facility will serve about 140 residents ages 65 and older, and at full capacity will employ about 65 people.

According to Vicki Haugen, president and CEO of Vermilion Advantage, they've been working on the project for several months.

City officials also are expected to act on annexing the land into the city and expanding the enterprise zone to also include these acres.

If approved, construction on the facility could start in March. Grand opening could occur in June 2019. Construction requires 14 months, weather permitting, according to the press release.

Haugen said Phillips Investments has numerous developments such as this throughout the state, adding that they are all private-pay facilities. Phillips Investments' other locations are in Bloomington, Morton, Washington, Pekin, Chatham, Monticello, Gibson City, Savoy, Herrin, Harrisburg and Rantoul, plus Brazil, Ind. Current construction of new communities includes Bethalto, Collinsville and Bloomington-Towanda.

The ownership entity for the Danville project is Phillips Investments, LLC -- Danville Series. The group has three members who share the ownership evenly: Reggie, Chad and Hadley Phillips. Reggie Phillips of Phillips Investments, LLC has been working with Haugen and Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhauer since last summer.

The owners will utilize sister company Unique Homes & Lumber, Inc. to construct the assisted living facility.

Annexation of the proposed site and enterprise zone status are in process, according to the press release.

The proposed project will require $9 million in construction loans plus $1.5 million in investment, the press release continues. An expansion of the Danville/Vermilion County Enterprise Zone is being requested to include this 22-acre parcel and provide property tax abatement for 10 years. In addition, Phillips Investments is requesting $60,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds from the city for the project.

According to the press release, the project and employment projections qualify for the CDBG funds to be used toward infrastructure, equipment and site preparation.

The project will be financed through a traditional lender. The Villas of Holly Brook and Reflections Memory Care do not accept government assistance through Medicare or Medicaid.

"This project will serve the needs of seniors and provide economic growth opportunities in Danville. We appreciate all the support provided by area officials for this project. We welcome the opportunity to give you a tour of one of our award-winning communities so you can see why families say the Villas of Holly Brook and Reflections Memory care are simply the best," Reggie Phillips stated in the press release.

The press release also talks about the market area the facility will serve. The Dominate Market Area (DMA) has a total population of 80,460. The Villas of Holly Brook and Reflections Memory Care can draw from 14,213 seniors ages 65 and older. This target audience is comprised of seniors ages 75 and older which totals 6,367 within the DMA.

Phillips estimates 8 percent or a minimum of 509 of those seniors need assisted living services.

As to the care the facility will provide, residents are monitored by the wellness director and professionally trained staff. The residents can enjoy three meals daily in the dining room plus snacks in the café. Residents are offered fun activities and special outings. Scheduled transportation is provided to medical appointments.

Reflections Memory Care will provide Alzheimer's and dementia specialty care.

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