Developers say family key to Bright Oaks in Aurora

The key word at the Bright Oaks of Aurora ribbon-cutting Tuesday was family.

And nowhere was that more evident than with Bright Oaks' developers, Nader Kameli, the chief executive officer, and his brother, Taher, a lawyer and Nadel's business partner.

After the ribbon was cut on the 53,432-square-foot senior living center at 1340 River St. in Aurora — courtesy of members of the Aurora Area, Batavia and North Aurora chambers of commerce — the Kamelis, with their mother, Kloria, standing next to them, broke out a Champagne toast to their father, Muhammad.

He gave his sons support throughout development and building of the project, and promised them a toast when the building finally opened. Unfortunately, he died six months ago, but Taher Kameli said he was sure his father was looking down on them.

"He wanted to be here," Taher said. "He said he would open the Champagne."

Besides their own family, Nader Kameli said he and Bright Oaks developers and employees are dedicated to bringing family-style living to their facility.

"The concept of family living isn't new," Nader Kameli said. "We're bringing back something that has been forgotten. This will be an environment where people live together, yet have independence. There's a difference between being independent and alone."

That's why Kameli said Bright Oaks intends to combine the togetherness and support of family with activity. Activity retards the process of growing old, and can be fun, he said.

"If someone wants to go skydiving, I will personally take you," he said. "If you want to do a zip line, I will take you and do it with you."

Kameli's optimistic attitude comes from a lifetime of problem-solving. With a background in neuroscience, he has formed several companies around the medical devices he has invented. Developing Bright Oaks was similar to inventing, he said.

"You find an unmet need, and create something to meet it," he said.

Bright Oaks of Aurora is one of five properties Bright Oaks Group, of Oakbrook Terrace, has in Illinois, including Wood Dale, Dundee and Elgin, which is the next development and will be bigger than the one in Aurora. They have four properties in the Naples and Fort Myers areas in Florida, too.

The Aurora facility will offer 24 memory care and 36 assisted living apartments. Officials said they would begin admitting residents as soon as the Illinois Department of Public Health finished its inspection of Bright Oaks, which Nader said could be as soon as next week.

The grand opening for the facility is scheduled for June 4, at which time people can see the facility and meet its residents.

Bright Oaks was funded entirely by private funds, using a federal program known as EB-5, a visa program that provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States.

To be eligible, individuals must invest between $500,000 to $1 million in America, creating or preserving at least 10 jobs for American workers. None of those jobs can go to the investors or their immediate families.

Bright Oaks of Aurora created about 100 construction industry jobs throughout development, and will have more than 50 full- or part-time jobs upon opening, officials said. The jobs include nurses, aides, other medical and personal care providers, physical therapy specialists and administrators.

According to EB-5 information on a federal government website, if the foreign national investor's petition is approved, the investor and his or her dependents would be granted conditional permanent residence, valid for two years.

Within the 90-day period before the conditional permanent residence expires, the investor must submit evidence documenting that the full required investment has been made and that 10 jobs have been maintained, or 10 jobs have been created or will be created within a reasonable time period.

Nader Kameli said the foreign investors in Bright Oaks come from the Middle East and the Far East. Locally, West Suburban Bank invested in the program, too. Kameli and his family were not among the foreign investors. Originally from Iran, Nader Kameli has been an American citizen for 35 years.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/news/ct-abn-aurora-brightoaks-st-0224-20160223-story.html

Mentions

• Aurora Memory Care, LLC
• Taher Kameli

States

• Illinois