THE BLAKE is a dream come true
Independent living facility is the fruit of three years of planning, a 20-year career in elder care and a lifelong commitment to providing excellence

Glenn Barclay examines blueprints of the new luxury assisted living retirement community, The Blake. The Blake is due to open Summer 2008, and is a team effort combining co-owners with business development and health care, and senior housing expertise.

M any professionals go through life with a dream in the back of their head. They are in a profession they love, but they want to take the satisfying job they enjoy to a new level, a new excellence. For Glenn Barclay, The Blake is that perfect dream come true; the fruition of many months and years of researching and mentally designing the perfect standards for the best imaginable luxury assisted living retirement community. And he is bringing The Blake to Gulf Breeze Florida.

Owner and Principal Manager Glenn Barclay envisioned The Blake three years ago, did all the research and put together a team of co-owners with business development and health care, and senior housing expertise. .

Barclay and his wife Jackie moved to the Gulf Breeze area five years ago from Texas. Jackie is a private marketing consultant, they have one son Blake, who is eight, and attends Oriole Beach Elementary.

Pam Randall / Gulf Breeze News The Blake, located on Gulf Breeze Pkwy., is scheduled to open Summer 2008.

"I knew what I wanted The Blake to be, the standards that would have to be met, and I gathered seasoned experts from health care, resort development and restaurant management. There was no room for compromise between the dream and the reality," Barclay says with clear pride and joy over his project. "I have been in health care for 20 years. I moved to this area, and I ran 12 buildings for a senior care management company as Regional Director of Operations. I was disappointed in what I saw in senior living projects in the Panhandle and South Alabama - I wanted to bring a higher quality of living for our senior adults. I met with Dr Joe Story and we agreed that it was time to raise the bar for senior living."

The Blake will be an incredibly beautiful and accommodating facility, and it will also provide state of the art services and amenities that will not just maintain, but enhance the quality of life for its residents. "We are including memory enhancement and performance enhancement activities along with indoor and outdoor activities that residents will not only enjoy, but could use to grow more mentally and physically healthy," Barclay says. "Just to tell you how invested and committed we are, and how proud we are of the plan that is coming together, we named it after my eight year old son, Blake. We teamed up with an amazing architect, GTF Design, who specializes in Senior Housing."

GTF Design, is also from Dallas, TX, and the Barclays knew of their fine reputation. The 75,000 square foot facility will provide 107 apartments, 70 of which will serve seniors choosing hassle-free retirement through luxurious Assisted Living accommodations, and 37 apartments designed for individuals with Alzheimer's or memory impairment. The approximately $17 million project is to be the inaugural branch, the prototype of excellence. The Blake's Florida community is the first project of a long-term goal. Blake Management plans to open similar facilities throughout the southern states.

The Blake will be a truly unique facility and features:

Resident alert systems. For over a decade these state of the art safety systems have offered innovative emergency response and monitoring solutions, helping long-term care providers offer exceptional care in a safe and appealing environment.

Large courtyards with covered porches, and walkways, sitting areas, putting greens, raised flower and vegetable gardens for residents to use, and open areas providing fresh air and outdoor recreation areas for outside grilling and picnics.

Unique interior design and floor plans

In house therapy service, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, & Speech Therapy

Grandchildren entertainment Room. This room will include a large flat screen TV, a homework area, Wii game system, computer area and children's library. This interactive space will afford residents and their guests to comfortably interact and enjoy each other during visits.

"We did everything we could to plan the right kind of space and the right amount of space to truly make The Blake a home away from home," pledges Barclay. "This luxurious facility will not be accommodations only, but The Blake has been planned to be a home, a retreat for our residents and their visitors. The amenities provided will afford them a high quality of life, and even the opportunity to learn new skills, and deepen family relationships."

The Blake is being constructed by Hyperion of Pensacola. The facility is expected to bring more than 50 jobs to the area, and will open in summer of 2008.