Washington company to build center for Alzheimer's patients

JEA Senior Living Inc. of Vancouver, Wash., purchased 2.8 acres of land off Stone Valley Road in northwest Reno and plans construction of a 33,000-square-foot facility dedicated to care of patients with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Stone Valley Alzheimer's Special Care Center is expected to be open in late fall after a late-spring groundbreaking at the site, says Carl Sanders, JEA director of development. The company's in-house general contractor, Erwin Construction of Vancouver, Wash., will wait out the winter weather in northern Nevada before beginning construction.

The facility will house 66 residents in a combination of private, semi-private and shared living space and includes a number of indoor and outdoor common spaces. Sanders says when fully occupied the facility will employ between 45 to 60 people, including an administrator and leadership team, three full-time nurses, and a number of caregivers, housekeepers and kitchen staff.

JEA has copied the model for the new facility more than 40 times across the county, Sanders says. The company decided to expand to northern Nevada after the success of its nearest facility in Folsom, Calif., and the lack of newer senior-care facilities in the Reno-Sparks market.

"We have got a very successful community in Folsom, and as we looked at expanding from that location Reno made sense," Sanders says. "Also, there are not a ton of newer Alzheimer's facilities here. There are wings and living buildings, but what makes us unique is our history and our focus on Alzheimer's and dementia care there are not many purpose-built Alzheimer's facilities in Reno. It makes sense from a market dynamics standpoint and in an area that makes sense for us to expand to given our presence in the greater Sacramento market."

Rents for the new facility have yet to be set, Sanders says, and JEA expects to begin marketing the property late summer of next year.

Mark Krueger of ArchCrest Commercial Partners helped JEA find a site and also brokered the sale of the land.

JEA Senior Living operates more than 30 communities in 16 states and has more than 10 new facilities in development or construction throughout the United States and Canada.

"We are excited to bring JEA's proven model of Alzheimer's care to Reno and look forward to being a positive contributor to the local community," Sanders says. "Expanding to Reno is a terrific opportunity for JEA."