In October 2019 Haren began renovating the Brookdale Senior Living Community in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The 53,162 square foot project consists of gutting and renovating four floors of the building.
The 1st floor assisted living is gaining a dining area with a new addition. There will be 25 renovated apartments. The total area that is being removed and renovated is 22,528 square feet. This new space includes a resident activity kitchen, activity areas/rooms, a spa, a serving kitchen, therapy and treatment rooms, and an extended cafe.
The 2nd-floor independent living consists of 20 resident apartments. The 2nd floor of the community totals 21,312 square feet and includes 20 independent living apartments, activity spaces, a fitness area, memory care dining, a secured vestibule, and memory care apartments. The renovation project also includes new construction of a 469 square foot screened-in porch.
The 3rd and 4th floor of the community are receiving updates to the common areas, including the hallways.
The challenges of the project include working in an occupied community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety and health of the residents at Vernon Hills remain a top priority for our project teams. Temporary partitions are put in place to notify residents of the boundaries to the work areas and isolate workers from occupied areas of the building. To mitigate air quality issues from building renovations the Haren team brought in negative air machines with HEPA filters to improve indoor air quality. The Haren team is coordinating power and water cuts with facilities staff and residents. The Haren team continues to work closely with Brookdale to ensure the safety and health of the residents of Vernon Hills.
