Big splash for Northshore Senior Living opening
A two-year construction adventure has concluded with the opening of Northshore Senior Living.
Located at 8804 S. Northshore Drive near Pellissippi Parkway, the senior living facility celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting, hosted by Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, April 13.
“This has been a two-year adventure into what we think is the best senior living facility built,” said Rick Dover, managing director of Dover Development Corporation, Knoxville, which built the facility.
The senior living center, located on seven acres, includes 68 suites and apartments for assisted living and an additional wing for residents needing specialized care for memory loss.
“I’m pleased to be here,” said Chris Sides, president of Senior Solutions Management Group, which manages Northshore Senior Living and other centers in the area and around the Southeast.
“It’s a great center,” Sides added. “It’s doing really well. We have had 33 residents in the past 90 days. It’s a good area, a great building.”
Besides the 54 suites for assisted living residents, Northshore Senior Living can accommodate 14 memory care residents, he said.
“We’ve been doing this [building senior facilities] now for 23 years,” Dover said. “We started in Lenoir City. One thing led to another and here we are today.
“Any builder can build a beautiful building, but what really makes this place special, out of all the facilities we have, is the atmosphere and the whole attitude that has been brought to this business,” he added.
The facility’s staff has put a lot of emphasis on activities and providing food that will make residents happy, Sides said.
“I’ve known Chris Sides for many, many years,” Dover said. “He’s run all of our facilities dating back to the early 2000s.”
Senior Solutions, formed in 1997, started managing Dover’s senior communities in 2009.
“And now, we’re here today,” Sides said. “In the Knoxville area, we have about 200 employees, and I would say a fair amount of them have something to do with here, whether it’s helping to train or just being part of making [this facility] what it is.”
Besides the Northshore location, which was a $10 million investment, Dover Development also has built three other senior living facilities in the area and has another two in the planning or construction phase.
“People are living longer and longer,” Dover said. “With 10,000 baby boomers a day turning 65 for the next 20 years, there clearly will be a continuing and growing demand for senior living.”
“It’s good to see the private sector working to meet a growing need in our community,” Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said. “I appreciate Rick and Dover [Development] for being good partners and for their continued investment in our community.
“There’s no one around who’s a better advocate of veterans and senior adults,” he added about Dover.
