WILMINGTON — A $5 million renovation and upgrade plan is being coordinated to start next year on 74 apartments and the common spaces at Prairie Oaks Village in the building named “Prairie View.”
The Tuesday announcement comes two years after Episcopal Retirement Services (ERS) welcomed the Wilmington communities at Prairie Oaks Village into the ERS family.
A $5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award was secured by ERS, through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, “a longtime ERS partner in the Cincinnati-based not-for-profit’s growth as a national leader in senior services, communities, and innovations in senior care” according to a news release from ERS.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be in Wilmington,” said Kathy Ison-Lind, ERS Vice President of Affordable Living and In-Home Services. “When we first arrived, we saw just how much opportunity there was for us to put to work what we have learned by managing affordable senior housing communities across the Tri-State.”
Prairie Oaks Village was opened in 1977 and is comprised of three distinct buildings.
In the near future, ERS will seek an additional $10 million in tax credits to completely the renovate the campus.
“Renovation and maintenance needs are many: plumbing, windows, new flooring, paint, and interior finishes,” according to ERS. “For the first time, many of the apartments will have kitchens installed; Prairie View originally was part of the Housing and Urban Development ‘Congregate Meals’ program.”
Construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2020, with completion projected in 2021.
Immediate occupancy
ERS has immediate occupancy opportunities for potential residents of Prairie View, though occupancy is age-limited (62 and over) and income-restricted. Residents can benefit from a fully subsidized HUD community; they pay a maximum of 30 percent of their income.
“We have room! We want residents!” stated Ison-Lind. “It’s our goal for this to be the one, last and only place for seniors to live.
“Our focus is on aging in place, supporting our residents with services, for them to enjoy the rest of their lives.”
