A joint venture partnership will be kicked off Nov. 19, as the ground is broken at Little River Glen II, a senior assisted living facility incorporating Fairfax County Department of Housing, Sunrise Assisted Living and Inova Health.
"We've worked a lot with the surrounding community, it will be a nice addition to Little River Glen," said Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock), who has been instrumental in the project.
"We wanted to provide an assisted living area," Bulova said.
Brian Williams, development officer for Sunrise, noted that even though the two are on the same tract of land owned by the county, they will be separate entities.
"It will be on the same campus but a separate facility. The site was master planned by the county years ago," Williams said.
Currently, Little River Glen is a county-subsidized senior residential and day care facility on the corner of Olley Lane and Little River Turnpike in Fairfax. The cost fluctuates depending on individual incomes, according to Bulova.
"People do live there but it's subsidized by the county, there is an income limit," Bulova said.
There are several other similar facilities around the county.
The new facility will be a 60-bed assisted living and adult day care center. When the assisted living facility is completed, which will be in approximately one year, it will be the only one of its type utilizing a public-private partnership, according to Williams.
"This will be the first one," Williams said.
Inova Health spokesperson Mary LaFalce noted the affiliation between Inova Health and Sunrise, which have joint ventures in Reston, Fair Oaks, Mount Vernon and the City of Fairfax. One is currently under construction in McLean as well. These are full cost facilities unlike Little River Glen II which is affordable, according to LaFalce.
"It is designed to be an affordable assisted living. Both parties worked closely with the Fairfax County Housing Authority," she said.
GREG HOFFMAN is a county employee at Little River Glen. He does know about the planned addition but the business details have not been provided to him yet since that is the private business part. County officials and Sunrise are looking at combining some of the activities though.
"It's my understanding that there could be some programs together. Because of the joint venture status, we don't know," Hoffman said.
About 25 percent of the property is Little River Glen, 25 percent will be for the new facility, which some have called "Little River Glen II," and the remaining half will remain undeveloped for the time being.
"The other half will be to-be-determined for future development," Hoffman said.
Residents at the existing facility are aware of the plans as well. Some have been inquiring about their future, in case they become unable to take care of themselves.
"We have residents asking about waiting lists, guaranteed slots. That's a question when seniors come in here, it's a continuum," Hoffman said.
When children bring in their parents, it's a concern of theirs as well.
"They're asking these questions," Hoffman said.