New Assisted-living facility

 

July 31, 2011|By Christine Show, Orlando Sentinel

 

TAVARES — Developers are starting construction on a new assisted-living facility that also will offer care for dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the city.

 

The Osprey Lodge facility will be an economic boost, city officials say, as the project is expected to bring a number of jobs. Builders plan to host a groundbreaking ceremony in mid-August.

 

"I think it's a good time to do construction," said Tom Hofmeister, one of the developers for the facility. "It's good accessibility to people who need and want jobs."

 

The projected 125,000-square-foot facility will feature a five-story assisted-living section with 76 units available for individuals who need supervision during daily living. The first phase should be complete next year, officials said.

The second portion of the facility will be a single-story, 48-unit care home serving the needs of those who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's.

 

The facility, which abuts Lake Frances on the opposite side of U.S. Highway 441 from Florida Hospital Waterman, should be ready for people to move into in 14 months, Hofmeister said.

 

Osprey Lodge will be considered a nonresidential project, which will contribute to the city's tax base, said Tavares Economic Development Director Bill Neron. It aligns with the city's efforts to attract new businesses to generate more economic activity in the area.

 

"It will create good-paying jobs," Neron said of Osprey Lodge, which he said he hopes is the start of more medical-related construction in the city.  He said the city has worked on trying to attract medical-type facilities in the area along Mayo Drive to establish a "medical village."

 

The $30 million project is funded through state revenue bonds. The city serves as an intermediary to issue and sell bonds. But the city is not responsible for bond payments.  Hofmeister said he and his partner David Croson foresee the economic climate improving and that this project is the start of a new era.

 

"We think the economy is turning," he said. "We think it's a good time to be doing these projects."

 

cshow@tribune.com or 352-742-5917.