The Congress Companies and LCB Senior Living, LLC receive permit for The Residence at Riverbend

The Congress Companies and LCB Senior Living, LLC have received a special permit and site plan approval, fully endorsed by the town planning board, for the construction of The Residence at Riverbend, an assisted living facility for seniors located at 149 Country Rd. (Rte. 1A). Congress Cos. will provide construction management services for The Residence at Riverbend, which will be operated by LCB. The Residence at Riverbend will be situated on one acre of a 15-acre site that stretches from Country Rd. to the Ipswich River. Congress Cos. CEO, William Nicholson said, "We are thrilled at the prospects for the assisted living facility proposed on Country Rd. to be known as The Residence at Riverbend. Congress and LCB would like to express our sincere gratitude to the municipal boards in Ipswich which have worked very hard through the public special permit and site plan process toward making this project a reality. The planning board, open space committee, conservation commission, affordable housing trust and sewer and water department have spent much time reviewing the project to ensure that it is consistent with Ipswich planning principals. We also thank the Ipswich River Watershed and Essex County Greenbelt for their efforts to assemble and enhance open spaces. The public support has been overwhelming. We are pleased that this will be a facility that serves a clear need in the community." The Residence at Riverbend will be a 73,600 s/f building of 75 units. The living space will include 53 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units for traditional assisted living and independent residents, and 22 studio and shared units in a memory care wing for residents with early Alzheimer's Disease. Each assisted living unit will feature private living space and an efficiency kitchen with a cook top, refrigerator, and microwave. Residents will have access to assistance with activities of daily living such as medication management or help with dressing and bathing. The memory care wing will offer specialized care for Alzheimer's residents as well as a spacious, secure outdoor area for recreation. Additionally, The Residence at Riverbend will offer residents three daily meals served in a restaurant-style dining room, as well as access to a variety of other common areas including activities spaces, computer rooms, and a library. "It is not often that we have the opportunity to advance development, and at the same time enhance the public's access to riverways and environmental studies. By way of our collaboration, Congress will donate more than two acres of riverfront land to the Ipswich River Watershed Association. We will build and provide a trail for the public for direct access to the Ipswich River, provide access to a vernal pool for outdoor classroom wetland studies, and place open space land in a permanent conservation restriction. This was accomplished while increasing the tax base of the town," said Nicholson. The Residence at Riverbend was designed by The Architectural Team, and construction is scheduled to begin in early spring of 2013, with completion projected 15 months from the start date. "Congress views this as a win-win project, and an example of the public process working the way it should; to the benefit of the Town, its residents, the tax base, and the business community. We look forward to creating construction and permanent jobs in the Town and contributing to Ipswich's commerce and care for the elderly," Nicholson said.