Buildings Surface at Rivers of Grosse Pointe

Several buildings have sprung up on the site of the Rivers of Grosse Pointe site on Cook Road in the last several weeks, including one of the main buildings that will offer independent living options.

The Rivers is a retirement village that will include independent, assisted and skilled nursing living areas

During a tour this week of the construction site, Tim Kamego, director of operations at Riverview Health, updated Patch on the progress of the project.

The 77-unit independent living building is being readied for a roof, which Kamego said is scheduled for May 15 barring any weather delays. The goal is for the units to be open by January, he said. 

Once the roof is on, all of the interior work such as plumbing and electrical can begin, he said. 

At this point, some of the footings for the assisted living and skilled nursing areas outline the footprint of the building on the site. 

The goal for the assisted living area is to open in February, he said. The skilled nursing facility will be the last to open, slated for April, he said. Both of these areas require additional licensure through the state, which is part of why both are opening slightly later. Both have to be approved as such facilities before opening, he said.

Meanwhile, the condominiums are nearing completion. Most of the buildings are up and the city must complete rough inspections before construction is to begin on the insides, he said.

The condominiums are slated to open in late July or early August, he said, noting that 24 of the 40 units have already been sold.

The condominiums have been designed in a manner that allows them to blend in with the neigborhood, Woods building official Gene Tutag said, pointing out the different roof styles and designs.

Ultimately the facades of each condominum unit will also be individualized so as to not look like a cookie-cutter mega complex, Tutag said.

Currently there are about 100 workers on site any given day, Kamego said. Soon there will be 175 each day, he said. 

The site receives shipment from 5 to 7 semi-trucks daily with supplies, which are used within the day, he said. 

Overall the project is right on schedule despite the heavy amount of rain. Weather is factored into the schedule and while rain has limited some work as workers wait for the ground to dry out, it has not delayed the overall progress of the project, Kamego said.