Benchmark Senior Living to Open Retirement Community in Cedar Grove, NJ
Five and a Half Acre Northern New Jersey Campus to Offer Senior Independent Living, Assisted Living & Memory Care
Benchmark Senior Living, the largest senior living provider in New England, today announced they have begun construction on a new full-service retirement community in Essex County, NJ, in the township of Cedar Grove, which is located 20 miles from Manhattan near Montclair and Verona.
The Cedar Grove location will be Benchmark’s second in New Jersey as part of its expansion into The Garden State. Its first location, Benchmark at Scotch Plains broke ground in January.
“It’s long been our goal to bring much-needed, high-quality senior care to New Jersey, so it’s exciting to see that vision come to fruition,” said Tom Grape, founder, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Senior Living. “Cedar Grove has a strong sense of community, and we can’t think of a better place to bring our mission of transforming lives through human connection.”
Cedar Grove is often ranked as one of the best places to live in Essex County and in the entire state of New Jersey. It is known for being a quintessential, suburban community that generations of families have called home with good schools and a variety of things to see and do.
Expected to open in 2027, Benchmark at Cedar Grove will be located on the site of the former Cedar Grove Garden Center. Pending licensure, the community will provide a wide range of on-site rental options, including independent living, personalized assisted living and memory care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Situated on five and a half acres, the 145,000-square-foot, four-story building will include 138 apartments with a range of sizes and floor plans. Distinct amenities will be available for each of the three care levels and will include multiple dining venues, a pub/bistro, arts and activities spaces, a sports lounge, two hair salons, a wellness center, numerous exterior courtyards designed for active and passive recreation and more.
Benchmark at Cedar Grove is being developed by Benchmark in partnership with an institutional investor and co-developers, Claremont Development and March Development, LLC, both in Morristown, NJ. Huntington National Bank provided the mortgage financing. Lantz-Boggio Architects of Fort Lauderdale, FL, is providing architectural services and Senior By Design of Dallas, TX, will be interior designer on the project. Philadelphia-based IMC Construction, which is also building Benchmark at Scotch Plains, will serve as general contractor.
