By the numbers
$8 million to $12 million: Projected cost of a proposed skilled care facility on North Bechtle Avenue.
100: Number of jobs at the proposed facility.
17.5: Percentage of Clark County residents who are older than 65, according to U.S. Census Data.
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An $8 million to $12 million, 100-bed skilled care center has been proposed on North Bechtle Avenue, which could bring more than 100 jobs to Springfield as part of a growing industry caring for seniors.
The facility may open early in 2017 near Windy Knoll Golf Course, said Ross Oberhausen, director of development at Louisville-based DMK Development Group.
Several senior housing and skilled-care facilities have expanded in Springfield in recent years, including major upgrades at both the Springfield Masonic Community and Oakwood Village.
About 10,000 people turn 65 per day in the United States and will for the next 15 years, Oberhausen said.
“There’s just definitely a need,” he said.
The developer hopes to complete plans for the Ohio Department of Health to review next month to license the proposed Bechtle Avenue nursing home. If approved, work on the site might begin in October, Oberhausen said.
The City Planning Board this week approved rezoning the 15-acre property on North Bechtle Avenue north of Roscommon Drive. That request now heads to Springfield city commissioners to review.
Trilogy Health Services representatives confirmed the project, but wouldn’t provide details until the deal is finalized.
The 100-bed facility will sit on about seven acres on the northern portion of the property. The floor plan has skilled and assisted living under the same roof, and might offer independent living, Oberhausen said, but details have yet to be finalized.
“It’s always good to see new development, rather than it just sitting there,” Planning Board Member Charlene Roberge said.
The company must apply for a conditional use permit in the future where parking and traffic concerns will be examined, said Stephen Thompson, the city’s planning, zoning and code enforcement administrator.
The facility will have about 125 parking spaces, Oberhausen said. The staff will change shifts during non-peak hours, so it shouldn’t affect traffic on North Bechtle Avenue.
Trilogy opened the Forest Glen Health Campus at 2150 Montego Drive in 2007 and has since added a memory care unit and independent living, Oberhausen said. The facility also offers skilled nursing, assisted living, transitional care, long-term care, adult day health services and independent living villas.
“It’s been very successful,” Oberhausen said. “We’re excited to be in Springfield.”
According to U.S. Census Data, the percentage of residents 65 and older in Clark County has increased as the overall population has dropped.
In 2000, nearly 15 percent of Clark County’s residents were older than 65. In 2013, seniors represented nearly 18 percent of the population, according to the Census. About 28 percent of the county’s population is between the ages of 45 and 64.
By 2035, 40 percent of Clark County will be eligible for services at United Senior Services, Executive Director Maureen Fagans said. Baby boomers are getting older, Fagans said, and seniors are also living and staying healthier longer.
“As they get into the later years, that’s when skilled nursing and other kids of support services are necessary,” Fagans said.
The proposed development would be another win for the community, Springfield Deputy City Manager Bryan Heck said.
“It’s another good investment in terms of jobs at a well-respected health-care system such as Trilogy,” Heck said. “Our community does have an increasing, aging population. There is a need for these types of services within the community.”
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