From hospital to housing
Plans for the $3.5 million redevelopment of the old Jamestown Hospital were unveiled Friday, showing its transformation into senior housing, a day care, a senior center and a wellness center.By: Kari Lucin, The Jamestown Sun
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Plans for the $3.5 million redevelopment of the old Jamestown Hospital were unveiled Friday, showing its transformation into senior housing, a day care, a senior center and a wellness center.
“I’ll be intrigued to see it. I think it’s going to be a model for what other communities are looking to do,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., following Friday’s open house celebrating the project. “It’ll make a big difference — it’s a place for, really, people of all ages to go.”
Lutheran Social Services is leading the project to turn the old hospital into 51 units of low-income and market-rate senior housing, called Lutheran Social Services Legacy Living.
The multi-use facility will be called the Legacy Center, and will also include other tenants, such as the James River Senior and Community Center, the Jamestown Regional Medical Center Wellness Center and ME’s 21st Century Learning Center, a day care.
Emmy Hoffman, who owns and operates the 21st Century Learning Center, currently cares for 12 students in a home environment, but plans to expand to 55 children when she moves into the new facility at the old hospital on July 1. To increase capacity, Hoffman plans to employ seven people.
“I think it’ll be a wonderful thing for our community,” said Doreen Larson, a board member for the JRSCC, which will also move to the old hospital building.
Funding and financing for the project comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Unison Bank, Eastern Dakota Housing Alliance and the Enterprise Community Loan Fund.
A $160,000 Affordable Housing Program grant for the project was presented by Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines as well.
“We’re here to celebrate a new beginning for this landmark building,” said Dick Hall, a member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota, as well as former CEO of the hospital.
Hall spoke of Jamestown Hospital’s legacy, which opened in 1935 after a six-year delay caused by the stock market crash of ’29.
Hoeven also referred to the hospital’s status as a historic asset to the community, and praised those involved with the project for working together to keep the building as a community asset for the future.
“You can’t believe how much attention North Dakota is getting across the nation now,” Hoeven said. “We have challenges, but they’re the right kind of challenges — the challenges of growth and progress.”
Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D. could not attend the meeting, but did send a representative with a letter praising the project.
Larry Nygard, president of Roers Development, said he expected the facility to be one-of-a-kind when it is completed.
Roers Development and Roers Construction, Fargo, and JLG Architects, Minneapolis, Minn., are leading the design and construction of the project.
“We wanted to let (seniors) stay in their communities, with their families and their churches,” said Bob Sanderson, CEO of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota.
When the renovation is complete, senior housing will be located in the top four floors of the building, leaving some space on the first floor and the ground floor for community use, said Jessica Thomasson, director of Lutheran Social Services Housing.
“Almost every apartment is unique,” she added, with different floor plans and different views.
The subsidized units will be open to people age 62 and older, and the market-rate apartments will be open to people age 55 and older.
LSS hopes to create similar complexes in Williston, N.D., and Wahpeton, N.D.
The organization is still looking for tenants to occupy an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 square feet of space on the ground floor.
An open house for the public will be from noon to 3 p.m. April 11. Rental applications will be available.
Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453 or by email at klucin@jamestownsun.com
Tags: local news, news, housing
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