EPOCH Senior Living and National Development have begun construction on a memory care assisted living community: Bridges by EPOCH. Preliminary site work preparation on the project has begun. The building, located on a 6-acre site at the intersection of Littleton and South Chelmsford Rds., will open in summer of 2013. EPOCH Senior Living and National Development have extensive experience in senior living; this is the third project the two firms have collaborated on in the last year. National Development has completed 22 senior housing projects in the last 25 years. Bridgesby EPOCH in Westford, which will include 48 apartments, will be the first freestanding memory care community of its kind in the area. EPOCH and National Development plan to build similar Bridges by EPOCH communities in other New England locations in the near future. The building was designed by JSA Architects and the general contractor is Cranshaw Construction. National Development managing partner Ted Tye said National Development and EPOCH are utilizing almost 50 years' collective experience to open this memory care facility in Westford. Bridges by EPOCH in Westford is unique in that it is a stand-alone memory care community and all services are geared to serving individuals with Alzheimer's and other memory illnesses. National Development and EPOCH opened Bridges by EPOCH in Hingham, another stand-alone memory care community, in June. "We're excited to expand our Bridges community to Westford. There is a great need for specialized, quality memory care housing and services as the number of individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia grows," said EPOCH chief executive officer Larry Gerber. "At Bridges, the entire building is designed exclusively for those with memory impairment, allowing us to achieve a new level of care and support. The need for memory care is growing. The Alzheimer's Association estimates in Massachusetts alone, more than 120,000 individuals suffer from Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to grow by nearly 20% by 2025.