The new Bellavita at Scarborough senior assisted living and memory care facility in Oak Hill is getting set to welcome residents.

The hope is for the building to be open by April 15, according to Melissa Craig, the executive director. “But that’s still tentative,” she told the Current.

The two-story, stone and clapboard facility has 61 assisted living units, both one-bedroom and studios, and 20 specialized memory care beds, Craig said.

As of mid-March just under half of the assisted living units are taken and Craig is still accepting applications. In all, she expects the Bellavita community to consist of about 70 residents.

The assisted living units start at $4,200 per month and the memory care units start at $4,800 per month. The facility is non-subsidized and is managed by Brookdale, which operates 1,100 senior living communities in 47 states.

The facility itself, however, is owned by Wegman Companies, a senior housing development firm headquartered in Rochester, N.Y, according to the company’s website.

This is the first Brookdale/Wegman property in Maine and Scott McCaskey, a spokesman for both companies, said they saw a need for senior housing in southern Maine and that Scarborough is attractive because of its proximity to Portland and the availability of quality healthcare options.

Brookdale/Wegman also wanted to open a facility in Maine because nearly a third of Maine’s population will be 60 or older by 2030, while the number of people with dementia in the state will go up by 40 percent in the coming decade, according to the Bellavita at Scarborough website.

Bellavita at Scarborough will provide nursing and healthcare staff, but residents are also free to contract with third-party providers, such as local visiting nurses or hospice for more support, according to Craig.

The monthly rent includes access to the dining room, a movie theater, a library, a beauty salon/barber shop, laundry rooms, whirlpool spas, gardens, walking paths and transportation for medical appointments, shopping and special events, among other services.

Craig said the goal is to “provide a host of activities that promote meaningful lifestyles and new friendships.” She also said that the assistance offered to residents would be personalized and varies from resident to resident.

Bellavita will also offer residents a concierge service that can help them coordinate doctor’s visits and social activities, among other needs. She also hopes private doctors would be willing to see patients on site in an exam room built specifically for that purpose.

In the memory care unit, Craig said, staff would work hard to “celebrate moments of success every day. These seniors still have significant value even with their memory issues.”

Flavia Manske, 89, is what Craig calls a founder, one of the first people to put down a deposit for a unit at Bellavita at Scarborough, and this week Manske said she’s eager to move into the one-bedroom unit she’s reserved.

Born in Paris, she came to New York City in 1940 and moved to Maine almost two years ago to live with her daughter and son-in-law.

While Manske loves Maine, she’s alone a lot because her family works full time. She also has severe arthritis and needs help with many daily tasks.

That’s why she felt that Bellavita at Scarborough would be “a better fit.” What Manske is most looking forward to, she said, “is making friends, getting the help I need and just a new adventure.”

She also said that everyone she’s dealt with at Bellavita is “so nice” and has made her feel right at home. What she also likes about the facility is that it’s new and “relatively small.”

Manske called the monthly fee “a good price and very fair” and is also happy to be only seven miles from her daughter, who lives in South Portland.

Craig is just as excited for the residents to start moving in.

“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to begin taking care of people again. I am looking forward to having laughter and life in this building,” she said.

Staff was only allowed into the building last week after the town had issued the required occupancy permit, but Craig said the interior decorator had already done a fantastic job bringing a “taste of Maine” to the facility.

Craig has 17 years of experience in providing senior care and said what she most likes about her job is advocating for her residents and making sure their voice is heard, whether that means the dining room serving a favorite family recipe or offering yoga.

“I want their last years to be special,” she said. “Nobody likes leaving their home, but we can make special memories right here, whether it’s a staff member just holding a resident’s hand or an evening picnic on the beach.”

Craig added, “Life enrichment is our key goal. There is a way to make any wish happen. We’ll take our residents wherever they’d like to go and provide whatever activities they would most like.”

Melissa Craig is the executive director at the new Bellavita at Scarborough senior assisted living and memory care facility, which is operated by Brookdale.The new senior facility includes a number of gathering areas for residents, including this one on the second floor.A studio unit at the new Bellavita at Scarborough senior facility.The main lobby at the new Bellavita at Scarborough senior facility includes comfortable seating and a fireplace.The one-bedroom units at the new Bellavita at Scarborough senior facility include a small living area and a kitchen area, with sink, microwave and small refrigerator.The new Bellavita at Scarborough senior assisted living and memory care facility in Oak Hill is getting set to open. Staff photos by Kate Irish Collins