The southeast corner of Plantation and Cedar Grove roads will soon be developed for a senior living center and two unrelated office buildings.

Site work has begun for the Ciel Senior Living facility that will serve 144 residents on the property near Rehoboth Beach.

The Delaware Department of Transportation plans to build a stormwater management pond on the corner. 

The Ocean Park office complex will total nearly 45,000 square feet of space in two one-story buildings between the stormwater pond and the Ciel residence.

Ocean Park includes a 19,600-square-foot structure parallel to Plantation Road and a 24,800-square-foot building parallel to Cedar Grove Road, according to plans submitted to the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Office by the architectural firm Davis, Bowen & Friedel Inc.

Ciel and the office buildings will share accesses off Plantation and Cedar Grove roads.

Site work has begun off Plantation Road for the Ciel Senior Living facility that will include 74 independent living units, 44 assisted living units and 26 memory care units in a three-story building, the company said Aug. 14.

Jordana Jobanputra, vice president of sales and marketing for Ciel Senior Living, said the four-story building is scheduled to open in early 2028.

The senior living project is a joint venture of  REDICO and Ciel Senior Living, the companies said in a news release issued July 8.

“The partnership brings together REDICO's experience as a developer, investor and owner of senior housing communities with Ciel Senior Living's operating platform,” said the release. “Under the joint venture, REDICO will lead development and investment strategy, with Ciel serving as the operating partner for the community.”

"Our involvement in this project and our ability to attract financing necessary to make it possible reflects renewed investor interest in this industry," said Dale Watchowski, CEO of REDICO and American House Senior Living. "This project also reflects REDICO's broader senior living development strategy, which combines institutional capital, experienced operating partners and targeted market expansion in high-demand markets."

The senior population in Sussex County has been growing rapidly in recent years, fueled by retirees moving from high-tax states looking for lower taxes and beach community living. 

The Ciel project is one of several senior living communities that REDICO and its affiliate, American House, are planning to open over the next several years across the Midwest and on the East Coast, according to the release.

The Rehoboth Beach project also marks an important milestone for Ciel Senior Living, a rapidly growing senior housing operating and development platform that manages more than 3,000 units across 20 communities in 10 states. It continues to expand through strategic operating, acquisition and development partnerships nationwide, according to the company.

"This is more than the start of a construction project – it is the realization of a vision," said Edward Burnett, co-founder of Ciel Senior Living. "Rehoboth Beach has long been a destination known for its quality of life, vibrant culture and strong sense of community. We are honored to bring a senior living experience that reflects those qualities while creating an environment where older adults can continue to live with purpose, connection and confidence."

"From the resident experience to the design of the community itself, every aspect of Ciel of Rehoboth has been thoughtfully planned to foster connection, promote well-being and deliver the elevated hospitality that defines the Ciel brand," said Alexis Martini, Ciel Senior Living president and chief operating officer.