Ribbon-cutting held for Clarendale senior living at Six Corners, as 10-story building seen as catalyst for area’s resurgence

by BRIAN NADIG

Eighty-five-year-old Jim Stanton was the first resident to move into the new 10-story Clarendale Six Corners senior living complex at 4715 W. Irving Park Road.

“They exceeded my expectations,” Stanton said of the staff and building’s amenities, including valet parking, an in-house movie theater and three dining options. Stanton was one of several speakers at the Aug. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Clarendale building.

Stanton said that he moved to Chicago from Ohio last year and looked at several housing options before settling on Clarendale.

“This is a big move for anybody,” he said. “Most of the places (I looked at) were depressing. This place … is vivid, has color.”

Stanton is one of 40 people living at Clarendale, which opened around June 1.

“Our goal is to move in 20 new residents a month,” said Clarendale Six Corners executive director Amelia Howard.

The building has 114 market-rate independent living apartments, 98 assisted living units and 46 memory care units.

It also includes 11 affordable housing units, which are offered at a significantly reduced rent. Clarendale received more than 900 applications for the affordable units.

Howard said that Clarendale welcomes feedback from its residents. “We have committees, and we listen.”

“It’s going to be an icon in the neighborhood for decades and decades to come,” said Dan Walsh, senior vice president of real estate development, senior living, for Ryan Companies. “Seven, eight years ago I came across Six Corners and decided to plant a flag there.”

Life Care Services director of operations management Ryan Duve said that the $120 million development should play a large role in the resurgence of Six Corners. “We are committed to this neighborhood.”

Alderman James Gardiner (45th) said that the Clarendale project is one of several large redevelopment projects that total an almost $500 million investment in the community. “This development was definitely the catalyst,” Gardiner said.

The other projects include a retail-residential development on the former Sears site at 4730 W. Irving Park Road, the Northwestern Medical Group facility at 4441 W. Irving Park Road and the future redevelopment of the former Peoples Gas site, 3955 N. Kilpatrick Ave.

A revised proposal for the Peoples Gas parcel is expected to be presented to the community in the “next couple of months,” Gardiner said. The project’s developer reported in June that a planned Amazon Fresh grocery store had been removed from the Peoples Gas plan.

Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen (D-12) said that the Clarendale building gives area seniors another option. “They need to have a place like this in their community,” she said.

The Clarendale complex is expected to generate 110 jobs, and Clarendale has donated $100,000 for a scholarship program at Schurz High School, 3601 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Monthly rents, which include a meal plan, start at about 3,300 for the independent living units, according to figures released earlier this year by Clarendale.

More information is available at www.clarendalesixcorners.com or by calling Clarendale 872-201-3239.

Construction work recently began on an adjacent Aldi grocery store at 3930 N. Kilpatrick Ave., which is scheduled to open early next year.

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