A Nebraska company plans to start construction in August on a new center for Alzheimer’s care in western Lawrence.

Ray Brown & Associates recently closed its purchase of a 1.86-acre lot for the project at 1216 Biltmore Drive, just northwest of the intersection of Wakarusa and Legends drives.

The project’s first phase — an 11,520-square-foot center — will be expected to open in April or May with 14 private suites for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementia, said Lisa Nielsen, CEO for operations and development at Ray Brown & Associates.

The center will be secured and licensed as an assisted-living facility, she said, and provide 24-hour-a-day care and assistance with eating, dressing and other needs.

Nielsen said the center would open with the equivalent of 10 full-time employees, including an administrator, administrative personnel, cooks, a housekeeper, caregivers and maintenance staffers. The center also would have a registered nurse consultant, unless a registered nurse is hired as administrator.

Ray Brown & Associates, which is based in Kearney, Neb., will serve as its own general contractor on the project, the first phase of which is expected to cost $2.5 million, Nielsen said. The company plans to hire local subcontractors for much of the work.

Decisions about whether or when to proceed with additional project phases will depend on demand for services, she said. Another 14-suite building is planned for phase two, which could be used for assisted-living services if the need arises.

The project’s third phase would be a 6,202-square-foot addition to the second building.

Ray Brown & Associates has developed 16 such assisted-living centers in Nebraska, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. This will be the company’s first in Kansas.