Lantern Crest

Lantern Crest Phase I Building
Assisted Living and Memory Care

The first building of the Lantern Crest campus located at 11010 Sunset Trails Road in Santee opened in May of 2012. The project is prominently situated on a hillside site adjacent to the intersection of the 52 and 67 freeways.

The project is two-stories over a partial basement, approximately 72,000 square feet, and offers 44 assisted-living residences and 36 memory-care residences. The assisted-living and memory-care residences are arranged around their own separate restaurant-style Dining and Activity Rooms which open onto landscaped interior courtyards. The views from the second floor Bistro, located within the project’s distinctive tower with “lantern” cupola, to the city of Santee and El Cajon below are spectacular.

The style, materials and massing of the building blends beautifully into the rustic hillside creating a signature architectural project for the community of Santee. The tile roof with exposed wood rafters, arched windows, and outdoor terraces all connect with the historic mission-style buildings of the area. The layered massing and stepped façade provides a residential scale to the project. The building entry faces the hillside providing a sense of privacy upon approach. Building services, while needing to be accessible from the public street, are screened and oriented away from the line of sight while entering. The grounds have been extensively landscaped with palms and local flora. Large boulders excavated during construction were saved and located around the site.

Residents and visitors are greeted with a warm and comfortable Entry Lobby with vaulted ceilings and natural lighting. There is even a salt-water aquarium next to the concierge-style reception desk. The balcony overlooking the Lobby has ornate iron railings and is the entrance to the Movie Theater and busy Beauty Salon. Architectural detailing and furnishings give the entire building interior the look and feel of a resort hotel. Resident rooms have large windows with panoramic views. Each residence has a fully accessible bathroom with a roll-in shower and a state-of-the-art nurse call system.

For residents of the memory-care residences, a safe and supervised environment still feels like home. The more active assisted-living residents have convenient access to Santee’s developing downtown district, but with so many amenities already provided at Lantern Crest, it’s really its own community. A full commercial kitchen with a professional chef provides daily meals to residents in the spacious Dining Rooms. Residents may be seated near the large windows open to the sun-lit interior courtyards which are also used for al fresco dining. Furnishings and décor match that of a fine dining restaurant. After meals, an enjoyable spot might be an overstuffed sofa next to the fireplace in the nearby Family Room. The centrally located Movie Theater is often the hub of night life where movies are screened and speakers or concerts are performed.

In addition to dining and entertainment, the Lantern Crest building has been designed to incorporate activities that strengthen the mind and body. There is a Library & Computer Room, an Arts & Craft Studio, and a Fitness Room with a personal trainer available. Residents may also see the on-site nurse or meet with a physician in the comfortable Medical Examination Room.

Lantern Crest provides a much needed senior care housing component for the City of Santee. The thoughtful design and quality construction of the Lantern Crest project has definitely added an “Orchid” to the community.