The Sheridan at Lakewood Ranch opening should be grand

Kathy White wants to make "home away from home" a reality for the senior Lakewood Ranch population.

Since December 2014, when construction started on The Sheridan at Lakewood Ranch, White and has been helping shape the design of the Ranch's newest assisted living and memory care facility. She hopes the concept will give residents an inviting feel that makes them comfortable relocating from their home.

"We want to provide residents with a vibrant, welcoming community that lets them keep their independence," said White, the executive director of The Sheridan. 

Sixteen months after construction started on the facility, which will feature 121 units in its memory care and assisted living buildings, The Sheridan is drawing closer to an opening date. At a gathering March 31 at its Welcome Center on Lakewood Ranch Main Street, officials released information the facility is expected to open in early June.

This is the third time the facility's opening date has been pushed back, White said.

"We're just trying to get everything right," she said. "We're in that phase where we focus on the tiny details, setting up keys and locks, putting in flowers and trees for the landscape, putting locks on medicine cabinets in memory care and locked hampers in memory care, too."

White said a few design changes have been the primary culprit of the postponed opening date.

The owner of the facility, Senior Lifestyle Corp., decided to introduce smaller closet design concepts for residents, which White said will help limit choices for those in memory care.

"We want to make the transition to The Sheridan feel as seamless as possible," White said. "Smaller closets limit the number of decisions our residents have to make, so they don't feel overwhelmed."

She said Senior Lifestyle Corp. usually takes over and manages assisted living facilities when construction is completed, rather than overseeing the construction of new lodgings.

The company is working with Sarasota-based Starling Group, which is building The Sheridan.

So far, The Sheridan has secured 35 deposits from individuals who plan to move in this summer. White and her team are hopeful they can rent out 75% of the units within a year.

The facility, which will cost about $17 million to construct, features studios and one- and two-bedroom units that range in square footage from 475 to 778.

For assisted living units, rent is $4,950 per month, and memory care residences cost $5,500 per month.

"When there's a need, we layer on care," White said. "We offer as little or as much help as residents need. We take care of the difficulties of every day life. People aren't just getting a pretty place to live."