Bob Gawronski, Vice President of Development for Senior Lifestyle, shares his experience doing business in the City of Chicago Heights, where he recently completed Prairie Green at Dixie Crossing, a 144-apartment senior living facility.

Chicago Heights was able to offer several financial incentives to help make Prairie Green a success, including a sale of the city-owned land for $1 to Senior Lifestyle.  Additionally, the project is located in an enterprise zone, which allowed for a waiver of building permit fees and sales tax on construction materials.  These financial tools helped Senior Lifestyle develop their state-of-the-art facility at a time when most other development projects folded.

According to Gawronski, Chicago Heights has been an ideal partner throughout the 5-year project.  The city has embraced the development as its own, and the results speak for themselves.  Prairie Green at Dixie Crossing opened for business in June 2013 at 1040 Dixie Highway.

Senior Lifestyle already employs roughly 40 individuals at their Prairie Green project, and this will increase to 50 employees once the project reaches full occupancy.  Most of these employees live within 5 miles from the project.

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