Azura Memory Care plans to break ground on its new facility in Fox Point’s Dunwood Crossing development as early as February.
Matthew Lyons, director of development with Azura, said the company is in the process of finalizing financing and has submitted its plans to the state Department of Health Services for the 80-unit memory care facility, located at the corner of North Port Washington Road and West Dunwood Road.
“We’re hoping by mid-February to move dirt,” assuming those last few items are taken care of, said Lyons. With a proposed 15-month construction schedule, the facility is expect to open by early- to mid-2020, he added.
The building consist of four separate 20-unit households as well as a large central community center, according to plans submitted to the village. Lyons said the facility could hold up to 88 residents, as a couple of rooms would allow for couples to live together.
Azura bought the the 2.5-acre site from an affiliate of Milwaukee-based developer Mandel Group in late December for just over $2 million, state records show.
Mandel Group bought the site of the former Dunwood School, which included the site of the future Azura location, from the Fox Point-Bayside School District in 2017 with plans for an apartment development and a senior housing facility. The apartments make up Lot 1 of the development area, with the Azura building making up Lot 2. Mandel is building The Chiswick at Dunwood, which features 103 luxury apartments, a community park, 800-square-foot clubhouse and other amenities.
Azura is headquartered in Milwaukee and operates 13 memory care communities throughout Wisconsin. recent developments include facilities in Oconomowoc, which opened in June 2016, and Oak Creek, which opened in August 2017.