The planned Grand Oaks Senior Living will be a first for White Hall. Unlike traditional nursing homes, it offers residents independent and assisted living choices that are best suited to their individual needs and are pet-friendly.
Already, the dirt work is underway at 200 Erica Lane and is expected to be completed within 12 to 18 months.
The complex will include a 48,000-square-foot living facility, 11 freestanding units and three duplexes, said April Spencer, operations director at New Horizon Senior Living.
“A groundbreaking is in the works. Stay tuned,” Spencer said.
White Hall Mayor Noel Foster said, “This is the first assisted living center that we will have located in White Hall. I am very excited about the new living center and for what it will offer seniors in the region.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Spencer said they are striving for a luxury, hotel-style facility that provides hospitality and care.
“We want residents to feel like they’re on a permanent vacation. We are very different from the traditional nursing home,” she said.
Inside the assisted living facility, visitors will be greeted in a hotel-style lobby that doubles as a gathering area with fireplaces. Additionally, the development will feature a library, a grand dining room, a salon, a movie theater, a bar and more.
In the courtyard, plans call for a large patio with a grill, a miniature golf course, a dog park, a covered pavilion and more.
PERSONAL SERVICES
Living options range from duplexes to apartments, and a wide variety of personal and group services will be available.
Residents can opt for three meals a day, as well as snacks, along with daily and weekly room cleaning and laundry services. Additionally, activities are scheduled every day, Spencer said.
Transportation will also be available, and nurses and certified nursing assistants will be on-site 24/7.
“Our goal is to partner with local physicians to provide ‘house calls’ to residents living at Grand Oaks Senior Living. Residents will receive an emergency pendant,” Spencer said.
FROM FREESTANDING TO MULTIPLEX
Their cottages will be built in two phases, with the first including the construction of 11 freestanding and three duplex-style units.
Each is 1,270 square feet with two bedrooms and baths, a washer and dryer, an open floor plan with an electric fireplace, a patio and a one-car garage.
There are personal services that include two meals delivered daily, weekly cleaning and trash-to-curb services.
“All one-bedroom apartments will include a bedroom and bathroom, a living room area, and a kitchenette,” Spencer said, adding that the kitchenette includes a microwave, full-size refrigerator and kitchen sink.
These are either 446 or 479 square feet.
Many of the one-bedroom apartments will open onto the courtyard, which is ideal for residents who have pets or enjoy being outdoors, Spencer added.
Additionally, plans are in place for two two-bedroom apartments, each measuring just under 800 square feet and will include a living space, a kitchenette, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The project will be owned by a group of investors called Grand Oaks Senior Living, according to officials.