ORLAND PARK, Ill. — Smith Senior Living has started construction of a new rehabilitation building at Smith Crossing, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Orland Park, approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago.
Smith Crossing’s new wing will house 46 private suites for adults needing short-term stay rehab services as well as common areas including a rehab gym, private treatment and therapy rooms, offices and a dining room.
Currently, Smith Crossing has a total of 46 beds in its skilled nursing care area with 30 designated for long-term care but only 16 for short-term rehab. Demand for short-term rehab has been extremely high at the community, which was only able to serve 170 patients out of 2,494 seeking treatment during the last 18 months, according to Frank Guajardo, the community’s executive director.
The two-story, 45,222 square-foot building will be connected with a passageway to the main building on Smith Crossing’s 32-acre campus. This is the second expansion at the community, and increases the total square-footage of Smith Crossing’s main building to almost 506,000 square feet of residences and common areas.
Development costs for the new rehab center are estimated at $24 million. With this second expansion, Smith Senior Living will have invested $119 million in expanding the community.
BBVA/Compass Bank is financing the construction. As part of the transaction, Smith Senior Living will also refinance its 2013 bonds with a new bond issue, to be purchased by BBVA/Compass Bank and First Midwest Bank.
Weis Construction, which built Smith Crossing’s first expansion in 2013, is building the new rehab wing. Civil engineering firm Kimley-Horn is responsible for the design and development of the site. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2020.