GREENSBURG – Construction work is on schedule for a downtown renovation project that will turn four derelict buildings into a senior housing community in the coming year.
Studio Three Architects Principal Brian Hollars told the Daily News the “Historic Greensburg Square Project” is coming along well and that construction crews – which are working to drastically renovate the old Decatur County YMCA, Watson building, the former Seitz Hotel and its adjacent building that was once a poker hall – are on schedule and possibly a bit ahead of it. Three of the structures undergoing the dramatic revamp have most recently been apartment buildings, but serious structural damage sustained by a tornado in May 2011 forced the evacuation of all tenants and subsequently saw the buildings fall into ruin.
Hollars, who heads this project and others for Muncie-based Studio Three Architects, said a total of 40 apartments will be available, divided among the four structures.
The project is a combination of efforts from community members, Studio Three Architects, Indianapolis-based Flaherty and Collins Properties and Thrive Alliance, a non-profit that provides an array of services for seniors, families, children and people with disabilities in Bartholomew County and surrounding communities.
Construction began last spring and in the months since has brought dozens of construction professionals to the downtown area, each working to put together what Hollars referred to as “a puzzle with four big pieces.”
“We have to make sure we’re code-compliant and meeting our objectives,” Hollars said of the ongoing project. “The folks who have been on site every day have done a great job of balancing all of those factors.”
Hollars said crews must maintain as much of the original structure as is feasible due to requirements associated with historic preservation grants attached to the project. Builders have been tasked with finding ways to keep as much of the historic elements of the four different buildings as possible while also bringing them into the 21st century in terms of technological requirements and conveniences.
It hasn’t been an easy task, but Hollars said his crews have worked “extremely hard” to update the buildings while keeping their original charm. Hollars said some of the challenges stem from water damage that required extensive reframing in the Seitz hotel that presented many structural problems. Another hurdle involved the "eviction" of hundreds of pigeons who had taken up residence there in recent years. In addition to those messy, feathered squatters, there have been numerous other unforeseen circumstances, but Hollars thinks the work will be worth it in the end.
“These are beautiful apartments in beautiful buildings,” the principal architect said. “People are really going to love them and I think it’s going to be a great asset to the community.”
Teri Hedemark, Flaherty and Collins Regional Property Manager, agrees with Hollars’ assessment and thinks the uniqueness of many of the apartment units will be one of the factors that will bring tenants downtown to live in the historic buildings.
Hedemark oversees the leasing and management of the properties and said several seniors have recently submitted applications, eager to be among the first to move in.
Some will have that opportunity very soon, as construction on the former Watson building just off of Broadway and Washington Street is nearly complete and the structure is scheduled to be ready to open early next month. The former poker hall adjacent to the Seitz Hotel on the corner of South Franklin will be opening its doors at approximately the same time, Hedemark said.
The towering former hotel is planned to open in March with the old YMCA rounding out the project when it opens again around May. Hedemark said future residents are determined on a first-come, first-served basis. She said prospective tenants must meet certain income guidelines and that screenings for credit and criminal history and rental verification are performed. Residents must be at least 55-years-old. All of the projects are non-smoking facilities.
The property manager said applications are still being collected and that prospective tenants should visit Flaherty and Collins’ temporary Greensburg office located at 207 East Main or call 812-560-4497 for further information. She said a variety of floor plans will be offered, from studio apartments to two-bedroom units.