Construction on a nine-unit housing facility for senior citizens in Homer, containing seven two-bedroom units and two one-bedroom units, and a four-plex for Anchor Point seniors, with each unit having two bedrooms and two baths, is nearing completion.
Building of Bartlett Terrace Senior Housing in Homer began last fall, according to Fred Lau, director of Homer Senior Citizens Inc. The $2.24 million project was designed by Kluge and Associates of Kenai and built by Blazy Construction of Soldotna.
"They're all funded by the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the Denali Commission, the Rasmuson Foundation, our own cash and other donations, including a smaller amount from First National Bank Alaska and BP," Lau said.
Each of the units has a garage. The one-bedroom residences are 780 square feet; the two-bedroom units measure 1,035 square feet.
"They should be done by mid-May," Lau said.
That's good news for the tenants, who had to be at least 55 years of age and have already laid claim to the units with nonrefundable deposits.
This new housing project joins HSCI's four six-plexes, an eight-plex, 40 assisted living units and one private residence. That leaves HSCI with one lot on which it has not built.
Lau also serves as project manager for Elderberry Manor, the Anchor Point Senior Center housing project. Like Homer, it was designed by Kluge and Associates and is being built by Blazy Construction, with the oversight of Anchor Point Senior Citizen's building committee Ole Olsgard, Dave Clemson, Sara Clemson, Gary Sheridan and Bob Picard.
According to Olsgard, APSC president, any senior at least 55 years of age qualified. Each of the units is 1,351 square feet. Price tag on the building is $1.25 million, financed by AHFC and the Denali Commission, with a mortgage of $170,000 being carried by APSC.
"Jon Bue of First National Bank Alaska is handling all our mortgage paperwork for us," Olsgard said. "I want to sing his praises. He's done a lot of work helping us with that."
The heating, electrical and septic systems of the Anchor Point facility are designed so two more units can eventually be added. It is being constructed on a lot owned by APSC, directly behind the existing Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Avenue. A driveway extends from Milo Fritz to the apartments and pathways through landscaped trees will link the apartments to the center.
"We'll have a building crew coming off that (the Homer) job come right up here and go to work on this one," Olsgard said. "That's why we have had good deadlines to build on, the crew's all ready to go."
Construction of the Anchor Point project is a multi-year dream come true.
"It's probably been three-plus years of getting this all organized and happening," Olsgard said.
In the meantime, a list of prospective tenants has formed. The four units to be built already have deposits on them. Now that the momentum is going, APSC is looking at the possibility of constructing more housing in the future.
"We have three more parcels of land big enough to accommodate five more six-plexes in the future," Olsgard said. "If things happen like planned, they can be developed just like that. This community is aging fast."
The Homer and Anchor Point projects are part of a Kenai Peninsula-wide movement to provide housing for the area's aging population. Within the last year, senior housing units were completed in Ninilchik and Nikiski. Recently more housing was constructed in Sterling and Cooper Landing. The impact of that growing need means greater demand for available resources.
"It's going to be a little bit more difficult to get funding because everybody's out there now," Lau said. "Even when we did our eight-plex, we didn't get funding the first year. It became a three-year project. I think there's quite a bit of competition."
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
