What’s inside counts
Downtown living for the disabled will soon debut in Fort DodgeBy BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
Fact Box
Applications are now being accepted from people with physical or mental disabilities who want to live in Town Square Apartments.
To get an application, contact Linda Smith at 576-6615 or Jo Berkland at 573-5757, ext. 205.
From the outside, the building housing Town Square Apartments looks a lot like any other new residential site.
But inside, there are some differences. Doors are wider, handrails are strategically placed in the bathrooms and some of the kitchen counters are lower than usual.
Those features prove that the downtown Fort Dodge structure is tailor-made for people who have a disability.
The first tenants to take advantage of those features may arrive later this month.
Upon entering the building they'll be in a new, clean and affordable place to live, according to Linda Smith, executive director of Northwoods Living, a Fort Dodge human services agency.
And if the residents need help with daily living, there will be Northwoods staff members available to lend a hand with everything from balancing a checkbook to keeping track of prescriptions.
''We'll just bring them the level of services they need,'' Smith said.
People with mental or physical disabilities "have a lot to offer to the community,'' she added.
''We want to give them the confidence to go forth in the community and participate as much as they can,'' Smith said.
Construction crews are nearing the end of their efforts in the three-story building just west of the City Square at 330 Central Ave.
The building contains 18 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom units.
''I think they're going to be extremely nice,'' Smith said recently as she walked through the building.
On the first floor, there's a multipurpose room with a fireplace and a plasma television. A kitchen is located right next to it.
Jo Berkland, the property manager of Town Square Apartments, said the multipurpose room and kitchen will be ideal for potluck suppers and holiday parties.
There will also be a computer room for residents on the first floor.
A conference room and workspace for Northwoods staff fill the rest of the first floor.
Outside, there is a parking lot with 17 spaces.
The building cost $3,778,807.
Affordable Housing Tax Credits from the Iowa Finance Authority ($2.9 million), a $555,000 loan from the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and a $240,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank helped pay for the project.
According to Smith, the building is reserved for people with disabilities whose income is 50 percent or less than the area median income. Additionally, 15 of the apartments are reserved for those whose income is below 40 percent of the average median income, which is $53,400 in Webster County.
Rent will range from $355 to $544 a month, depending on the size of the apartment and the income of the tenant.
Town Square Apartments is a partnership of Northwoods Living and MetroPlains Development of St. Paul, Minn. MetroPlains previously converted the former Beh Building at 629 Central Ave. into Central Place Apartments.
The building was designed by Sikes/Abernathie Architects of Tulsa, Okla. Paragon Construction of Omaha, Neb. is the general contractor.
Northwoods and MetroPlains tried three times to get the project's financing lined up before winning approval in March 2007. Construction began in March of this year.
''I hope the environment that will grow in this building will be one of supporting each other,'' Smith said.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
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Alfred
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09-06-08 8:58 PM
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It sounds great, I hope it turns out to be a great place to live.
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thendrickson
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09-06-08 1:53 PM
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I have reported my own post, not because I want to take it back, but because it had nothing to do with this story, I apologize.
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jaybares
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09-06-08 1:20 AM
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$120,000 per bedroom???? Can that be correct?
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