Darien Office Building to Become Assisted Living Facility

From NAI Signature Group: The Darien-based commercial real estate firm NAI Signature Group has completed the sale of One Parklands Drive, Darien, an office building, to Mass.-based LCB Senior Living for a 100,000-square-foot assisted living community with approximately 100 apartments.

NAI Signature Group, a full-service, independent commercial real estate firm, announced that it has completed the sale of One Parklands Drive, formerly one of two office buildings located in Parklands Office Park, to Norwood, Mass.-based LCB Senior Living (LCB). The developer/operator plans to construct a 100,000-square-foot assisted living community with approximately 100 apartments on a four-acre parcel to be known as The Residence at Selleck’s Woods as it adjoins the Selleck’s Woods Nature Preserve, which provides public access to a series of walking trails. The firm will renovate the existing 25,000-square-foot, two-story building and add 75,000 square feet. It will provide parking underneath the new wing. The transaction closed following a 30-month process to effect a zone change, a text change, site plan approval and State Traffic Commission approval. LCB plans to commence construction in the coming weeks. The NAI Signature Group team of Nick De Luca and Bob Gillon represented both LCB and the ownership, Parklands Office Park, LLC.

In June of 2016, NAI Signature Group negotiated LCB’s first Fairfield County site acquisition, a one-acre parcel on Summer Street in Stamford on which it is constructing a seven-story, 100,000-square foot assisted living and memory care community with 104 apartments. Following a similar zone change process that lasted almost 29 months, LCB has completed the demolition of existing buildings and other site work, beginning an estimated 18-month construction process.

“LCB is a well-respected and highly experienced developer-operator of quality senior living communities throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states,” said Gillon. “This outstanding company takes a local approach to each of its communities, from architectural design through programming, and is committed to becoming an integral part of each community in which it operates. We are proud to work with LCB to help assure that there is an adequate supply of this critical type of housing stock in our area, the demand for which will grow exponentially in the next seven to 10 years.”

Gillon said that both Stamford and Darien recognized the need to expand senior living units within their borders. Despite complex approvals processes, both were collaborative and welcoming, he said. The facilities are considered desirable beyond the mere need for them compared with typical multi-family uses. Parking demands are significantly lower and they are tax positive, as residents require fewer municipal services, including schools.

“Our communities serve a very local population and we are proud to be perceived as a good neighbor,” said LCB Vice President of Marketing Ted Doyle. “Most of our residents come from a three-to-five-mile radius of our communities. An important part of our mission is to allow local seniors to remain in their home towns, and to enjoy familiar lifestyles, activities and culture in proximity to family and friends -- without the pressures of maintaining an individual home. Although it’s a tough decision for many, we hear daily from residents and their adult children that they’re relieved to be able to live as independently as they would in a condo, but with a variety of premium amenities and services to make life richer and easier.”

To assure an accustomed lifestyle, LCB provides programs that appeal to each local population. For example, at Darien’s The Residence at Selleck’s Woods these might include lectures, thai chi and language classes, as well as cultural outings.

In addition, the company has established a flexible food service, called “Anytime Dining”, that is unique in the industry. The dining room is open from seven a.m. to seven p.m. and residents may dine at the time of their choosing, ordering from a menu with changing daily specials as they would at any quality restaurant. Other amenities include cleaning and linen service and maintenance.

All programming is created in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and McLean Hospital to promote ongoing brain health and acuity.

The Residence at Selleck’s Woods is scheduled to open in summer 2018. The facility will employ approximately 70 full- and part-time staff, most of who will be recruited from the local area. LCB Senior Living operates 22 communities of which it has built 14. In addition to the two Fairfield County locations, the company has Connecticut facilities in Avon and South Windsor. For further information, visit here.

NAI Signature Group has its headquarters at Three Parklands Drive, Darien CT 06820. For further information about the firm and its services, phone Bob Gillon at 203-655-1414 or visit here.

Image via NAI Signature Group