36 new assisted-living apartments are expected to open in 2010
Demand for senior housing is on the rise, as evidenced by construction of a $3.6 million wing at The Quarry Senior Living complex in Vancouver’s Columbia Tech Center.
Expected to open in 2010, the four-story addition will include 36 apartments for residents in need of assisted living, including those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Residents will have access to the center’s three restaurant-style dining areas and the swimming pool, health club and beauty salon, said Jay Leo, The Quarry’s executive director.
The Quarry opened in 2008 with 187 apartments, including 84 independent-living units and 67 units for residents in need of memory care and nursing care services.
Clark County’s demographics show demand for senior living options will continue to surge as the first wave of baby boomers near retirement in 2011, Leo said.
“At a time when the economy is really negative, we’re actually seeing growth,” he said.
Boomers expect the same lifestyles they’ve grown accustomed to, both for themselves and for their parents.
At The Quarry, fees for apartments, meals, amenities and care can range from $2,400 to $4,000 per month, depending on individual needs.
“It really is a person-centered pricing system,” Leo said.
About 120 people are on the payroll at The Quarry Senior Living.
“It runs from (registered nurses) to caregivers, chefs and dietary servers, to housekeepers, maintenance and administrative staff,” Leo said.
The Quarry’s latest addition will be the retirement center’s fifth wing. It is located on the southeast corner of the campus, which was developed by LifeStyles Senior Housing Managers Inc. The Vancouver-based company is owned by Gary and Christine Rood.
LifeStyles owns and operates 12 senior housing facilities in Washington, Oregon and California. The list includes Glenwood Place Senior Living, a similar complex with more than 300 apartments near Westfield Vancouver mall.
The project’s general contractor is Seabold Construction of Beaverton, Ore.
