Sunrise Senior Living plans 12th assisted-living center in East Northport

Sunrise Senior Living LLC, a large chain of assisted-living centers on Long Island, is proposing to build its 12th location on the site of a former farm in East Northport, officials said. 

The $54.6 million million project consists of 90 units, with about half set aside for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and memory problems, according to Philip Kroskin, senior vice president of real estate for Virginia-based Sunrise.

He said rents at the proposed facility will range from $4,800 per month to $10,000, depending on the level of care. The East Northport center will offer three prepared meals per day, activities and an outdoor meditation labyrinth.

The two-story, 77,500-square-foot building will be located at 1381-1387 Pulaski Road. A vacant farmhouse there will be restored for use as the construction office, then sales office and finally as a community events center, Kroskin said.

The farmhouse and adjacent produce stand were called Red Barn Farm in the 1970s and A&A Hay and Feed Inc. in the late 1980s. The site had been used for agriculture for more than 100 years as of 1975, according to the Newsday archives.

The Sunrise executive said last week that Long Island is an attractive market for assisted-living businesses.

“Pre-COVID, Long Island had the highest [occupancy level] for assisted-living centers of any place in the country: 93% to 95%. So, our product is highly accepted here” by seniors, Kroskin told a meeting of the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency.

Still, he said building costs are prohibitive without IDA tax breaks, and new centers don’t turn a profit until their populations age and require more expensive care.

“We would not be building in this region the way we have been if we didn’t get support,” Kroskin said in response to a question from IDA board member Joshua Slaughter.

The IDA voted unanimously to grant preliminary approval for $3.4 million in tax breaks over 10 years for the Sunrise project. The largest savings, up to $2 million, will come from a sales-tax exemption on the purchase of construction materials and furnishings.

In return for the tax aid, Sunrise has promised to create about 90 jobs with salaries that average $54,550 per year.

IDA executive director Anthony J. Catapano said the agency also has helped the Sunrise center in Huntington Station, which opened in October 2020. That facility is the same size as the one proposed for East Northport and has the same façade.

The East Northport center is projected to open in October 2024.

“These projects are good for the region because they keep families, they keep individuals on Long Island,” Catapano said in an interview. “Years ago, Pennsylvania was the closest place with assisted-living centers, and we lost a lot of residents as a result.”

Sunrise opened its first local facility in 1998 in Glen Cove. Besides Huntington Station, the other operating sites are in Dix Hills, East Meadow, East Setauket, Holbrook, North Lynbrook, Plainview, Smithtown and West Babylon.

Records show the company has 440 jobs in Suffolk.

Sunrise also plans to construct an 84-unit assisted-living center at 374 Atlantic Ave. in Oceanside. The $48.4 million project won tax breaks from the Hempstead Town IDA on Oct. 25, according to officials.

CORRECTION: The ranking of Sunrise Senior Living among Long Island assisted-living companies was incorrect in an earlier version of this article due to testimony given by a company executive to the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.