April 28, 2024
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Melody Living in Lake in the Hills to offer nearly 100 apartments as part of second phase

By James T. Norman
Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living.

Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living. (Gregory Shaver - gshaver@shawmedia.com/Gregory Shaver for Shaw Media )

Almost 100 additional apartment units at Melody Living in Lake in the Hills are planned to open in 2023 as the development’s second phase is well under construction.

The second part of the campus, which will be four stories and restricted to those 55 and older, will be dedicated to independent living. This is a departure from the first phase of the project, which saw 88 units created for both assisted and memory care living, said Ann Marie Hess, the village of Lake in the Hills’ assistant director of community development.

The company is aiming for the second part of the facility to begin occupancy in June or July 2023, said Gracie Nebel, vice president of operations and sales and marketing for Melody Living.

When the project originally was approved by the Lake in the Hills Village Board in 2017, it was viewed as something that could help fill a need for the community, Village President Ray Bogdanowski said. The partnership between the company and village over the past five years has been “terrific,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to the completion of phase two, as well as filling a need for our residents,” Bogdanowski said.

Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living.

Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living. (Gregory Shaver - gshaver@shawmedia.com/Gregory Shaver for Shaw Media )

Once completed, the campus across both parts will offer full dining rooms, community rooms for residents, on-site salons and spas, an outdoor patio, playgrounds for visiting grandchildren, a fire pit, and a wine bar for the independent residents, Nebel said.

Both phases combined should run more than $50 million, Nebel said. The first phase came in at more than $20 million, while the second one should hover around $30 million.

Construction on the second phase, which began in the fall, was delayed a few months while the company waited to see if rising costs for labor and materials tied to recent inflation would go down, Nebel said. The delay gave a little bit of relief, but even with rising costs, she said the second phase isn’t expected to be much more expensive than originally planned.

“A lot of it is beyond our control,” Nebel said.

The village has not assisted the project financially, including through tax increment financing districts or other incentives, Hess said. Nebel also confirmed the company was footing the whole bill.

The development was originally approved back in 2017 and saw its first phase completed in the summer of 2020, which is sitting at about 80% occupancy, Nebel said. This second phase will consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment units, she said.

Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living.

Construction has begun on its second phase for Melody Living at 525 Harvest Gate Road, in Lake in the Hill. The facility has been open since 2020 and caters to both assisted living and memory care. The new phase will include almost 100 units geared toward independent living. (Gregory Shaver - gshaver@shawmedia.com/Gregory Shaver for Shaw Media )

Assisted living in McHenry County has been a growing need in the area, officials said. Most facilities in the area have a waiting list, Bogdanowski said, which he hopes Melody Living with its second phase will help alleviate.

In Lake in the Hills specifically, two other developments in town are geared toward similar purposes. Both developments, which are named The Heathers and Arden Rose, are one-story developments. The Heathers currently has two of its three buildings completed, while Arden Rose broke ground earlier this week, Hess said.

“It’s certainly fair to say these types of senior living places are a good fit [in our community],” Bogdanowski said.

McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehler, R-Crystal Lake, said the increasingly aging population will need somewhere they can get quality care. Many also have family in the area, adding to the importance of staying close by, he said.

“I think municipalities recognize the need and will continue to do so,” he said. “I know the county does.”

The need for assisted living is expected significantly grow not only worldwide, but in the suburbs of Chicago in the next decade, Nebel said. More people are also expected to downsize, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

“People are realizing they want to take a step back and live that stress-free lifestyle,” she said. “That’s what this environment offers.”

CORRECTION: The article was updated March 31 to correct the minimum age of residency for Melody Living. The apartments are for those 55 and older.

A rendering of Melody Living campus once the second phase is completed. Construction on the phase began in fall 2021 and is expected to be complete in 2023.

A rendering of Melody Living campus once the second phase is completed. Construction on the phase began in fall 2021 and is expected to be complete in 2023. (Provided by Melody Living)