ESCANABA - Site plans for two major construction projects totaling nearly $4 million were approved by the Escanaba Planning Commission during its regular meeting Thursday.
Developers are planning to build a new assisted living facility on Willow Creek Road. A separate project is an addition to the Bishop Noa Home for Senior Citizens on 3rd Avenue South.
Daryl Miron, owner of Lakeview Assisted Living in Gladstone, presented plans to construct a new facility to house 30 assisted living units and 24 memory care units. The $3 million project is expected to be completed by next spring, he said.
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Daryl Miron presents a plan to build a new 54-unit assisted living facility in Escanaba during Thursday’s planning commission meeting. (Daily Press photo by Jenny Lancour)
Miron said he currently has a waiting list of 31 people for his facility in Gladstone and has been wanting to expand to Escanaba where many of his residents are from. He has also been looking to establish a memory care unit for individuals with dementia.
"Parkview Assisted Living and Memory Care" will include one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, he explained. Though all meals will be provided, each unit will have a kitchenette. In addition to the dining and day areas, there will be a chapel, theater and beauty salons. Garage space for residents' vehicles will also be available.
"We're excited about the project. It's going to look beautiful," Miron told commissioners.
The facility, expected to employ about 50 people, will be built on 22 acres neighboring OSF St. Francis Hospital. The complex will have a back road to the hospital. Miron acquired the property from Carol Enterprises, a developer which previously planned to build condominiums on the site.
Integrated Designs, Inc. (IDI) is designing Miron's project, as well as the addition onto Bishop Noa Home.
Larry Rasmussen, IDI project site designer, presented the plans for the 9,000-square-foot addition, which is expected to cost about $850,000.
The addition will house rehabilitation and physical therapy services, currently provided at Bishop Noa but in need of more space. The current rehabilitation room will be converted into private rooms with private baths.
In other business, the commission discussed a new policy being created to address various issues relating to donations of public art, monuments and memorials. Issues include locations, maintenance, appropriateness, and potential removal of donated items.