The new Sundre seniors lodge project has taken another big step forward with the Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) board voting unanimously to approve the $26.6 million facility on July 17.
The MVSH board is made up of representatives of all municipalities in Mountain View County. Board chairman Bruce Beattie, who is also the reeve of Mountain View County, calls the July 17 a great development.
“I'm very pleased to have everyone on board,” Beattie told the Gazette Friday. “It's very exciting and I think we are very happy. We've been at it for about three-and-a-half years, and over the last few months we've done everything we can to inform them (board members) and make sure they are part of the decision and that they have every bit of information that we could provide to assure them that all due diligence has been done on the project.
“The Mountain View Credit Union went through the business plan, the provincial government has gone through the business plan and the finance. The towns have some caveats and one that we are still waiting for will be the final signature from Alberta Health. We've signed the master service agreement and once we have title to the land, we can provide that to Alberta Health and they can then sign the agreement, which will be effective Aug. 11.”
Both the Town of Olds and the Village of Cremona had requested that the master agreement be signed before construction begins, he said.
“We are hoping to be in the ground by Aug. 17,” he said. “It will be about two years. We hope by early summer 2016 we should be open for business.”
The supportive living, housing and care facility will be built in southwest Sundre. It will be a 103-unit lodge based on the campus of care model, which organizers say “provides seniors a range of care levels and service, enabling them to age in place.”
“The MVSH board requested a thorough due diligences and feasibility review prior to this project decision,” Beattie said in a press release issued Friday. “We applied the lessons learned from past projects and developed a strong team and partnership with the project manager, architect and construction management firms who have proven experience in building supportive living facilities.
“This facility will be a fantastic addition to the residents of Sundre and all Mountain View County.”
Mountain View Seniors Housing has received a $3.8-million affordable supportive living initiative capital grant for the Sundre facility from the province of Alberta.
MVSH expects to pay the balance of the estimated $22.8-million construction costs from lease sales and financing, said Sam Smalldon, the CAO of MVSH.
In an interview Friday, Smalldon said there are several things now on the agenda for the project.
“There will be a maximum $22 million for borrowing and we are seeking permission from the minister (of municipal affairs) for that,” said Smalldon. “We hope to hear within the next three weeks. The other item we will now proceed on is the purchase of serviced land from the Town of Sundre, and that is commencing now and should be completed by Aug. 11.”
The new facility will provide three housing options for seniors at the one site, he said.
“First the new facility will replace the existing Foothills Lodge owned by the province of Alberta with 45 supportive living level 1 and 2 lodge units,” he said. “Secondly, the new facility will provide 40 new supportive living level 4 and 4D units to ensure residents requiring these levels of care can continue to reside near family in the Sundre area.
“Thirdly, this facility will provide 18 independent living-style ‘life leases' units for seniors of all abilities can live together in one community under this campus model.”
The Town of Sundre will be providing services to the property line of the facility.
In the same July 18 press release, Sundre mayor Terry Leslie called the July 17 board approval an important step.
“Our community has come together and been supportive of this project for over two years since planning started, with a resolve to keep our seniors and families together, here in Sundre. The announcement of this project approval means we are one step closer to achieving this goal,” said Leslie.
Once construction gets underway, an advertisement campaign will be undertaken to inform possible future residents of the application processes, said Beattie.
MVSH is a non-profit organization operating under ministerial order from the province of Alberta and regulated by the Alberta Housing Act.
Also a registered charity, the MVSH operates seniors lodges, seniors life leases, seniors self-contained apartments and subsidized family housing in the county.
