The Miga family has owned the Brentwood Nursing Home since 1974, and they aim to expand on their history with a new assisted-living facility.

Brentwood by the Bay, being built at 4040 Post Road, will have 68 units, some of which will be overlooking Greenwich Bay, to offer the elderly community so they can live with a certain level of independence and still be provided with the necessary assistance and healthcare.

“There’s been a change in the healthcare industry this past decade,” said Mike McMahon, admissions director at Brentwood Nursing Home. “Skilled nursing homes have been doing a lot more post-acute care and moving away from long-term care.” He said because of this change in service, people who need long-term care need a place to go.

“We want to discharge residents. We want to put them back in the community. That’s a good thing,” he said. “But what we are trying to do is prevent them from returning to the hospital after rehabilitation.”

With completion of the $9 million project, the Brentwood campus will contain two buildings and feature three services. The campus, which already includes the Brentwood Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Facility in one building, will be adding the assisted-living facility in the new building. This system will provide quick and easy movement among all three services as residents’ health dictates what type of care is required.

“The transitions will be much smoother,” said McMahon. “Our residents will know the staff members and other residents.”

Residents will get to pick between studio, suite, and one-bedroom styles. “It will be based on first come, first serve,” said McMahon. “We’ll give tours and make selections based on personal needs.”

He said there’s significant interest from people, but at the moment, no reservations have been made. Brentwood has been sending out information packets to those who are interested, and will be taking deposits on apartments within the month.

When asked about cost, McMahon said, “The cost will vary based upon type of unit, location of the unit and the amount of services needed. We have studios that start at $145 a day.”

The apartments will be rented to the residents on a monthly basis.

The facility will be community-based. Residents will be provided with meals and activities, and will be encouraged to socialize. There will be day trips, parties, and cocktail hours.

“The staff there will be looking to meet every individual need,” said McMahon. “If a resident needs to go out or get to an appointment, they’ll be there.”

The $9 million project looks to employ 35-40 FTE’s, or Full-Time Equivalents, and while they’ve had some people show interest, the hiring process won’t begin until the facility is closer to opening.

The facility is being constructed to resemble local mill-style buildings. When the building was originally proposed in 2014, it was met with some resistance due to aesthetic disagreements. In particular, the owners of Sea Watch condominiums were fighting its construction. The treasurer of the condominium association, Charles McNamara, at the time said, “It is one of the cheapest ways to build and it has no compatibility with the neighborhood.”

“The architect we hired surveyed the area,” said McMahon, “and felt as though this would be the best fit for the neighborhood.”

The owner of Brentwood Nursing Home and Sunny View Nursing Home in Warwick, Richard Miga, Jr., could not be reached for comment.

The building will have four floors. Andrew Webb of Advertising Communications, who is running public relations for the facility, said, “The third level facing the bay will be a little more premium,” because of its view.

According to the floor plans on their website, brentwoodbythebay.com, the ground floor will feature two dining rooms, a shop, a salon, an exercise area, a community area, and a patio. The first, second and third floors will have resident apartments, with a living area, porches, and sitting areas. There will also be a den and a deck on the first floor.

The website also features layouts of the various apartment styles and a gallery section where photos of the construction progress are uploaded every two weeks, according to Webb. The home page features an artist’s conception of Brentwood by the Bay when it is finished.

“Our new facility will offer residents the daily personal support they need now plus a continuum of care if their health needs change,” said McMahon in a press release. “They will be able to transition seamlessly, or receive physical rehabilitation services, on one campus. Construction progress is on track, and barring any unforeseen delays, we’ll be opening in December. We are taking reservations now for residency.”