Prairie View Senior Residences: First six housing units ready by October

Six of the 32 senior housing units currently under construction as part of the Prairie View Senior Residences complex at the south end of Holton are expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of October, according to Homestead Affordable Housing president and CEO Tom Bishop.

That means anyone who’s interested in leasing any of the units in the new senior housing complex, located near the intersection of First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, should contact Bishop soon. Preliminary leasing interviews for Prairie View’s first six units are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 15, he said.

“If people are interested, they should probably get in touch with us, because we’ll be leasing them as we go,” Bishop said.

Rick Dillon, construction supervisor for Accel Construction of Wichita, said three of the housing duplexes at the Prairie View complex should be ready for occupancy by the end of October, even though work on the complex was “about 70 days” behind schedule due to weather.

“That’s normal,” Dillon said. “We’re still doing our best to maintain a good schedule.”

Even though construction progress on the housing complex has been slowed down somewhat due to periods of heavy rain this year, Bishop said he has been pleased with construction progress at the complex in recent days.

“I’m glad it hasn’t been a month full of three to five-inch rains,” he said. “We’re finally able to see the progress without the weather slowing us down. That’s been nice to see.”

Once the first six units are completed, Bishop also said he is looking forward to completion of “a few more in November, and a few more in December.” All of the housing units are expected to be finished by the end of March 2016, he added.

Ground was broken this past January for construction of Prairie View Senior Residences, which promises to be a high-quality, energy-efficient residence for its eventual residents. Plans are for the complex to be built as 10 duplexes and three four-plexes, it was reported.

Each of the 32 units is designed with modern appliances, senior-friendly amenities, a concrete safe room and a private entry with a porch area, with some of the units designed to have a single-car garage and a private patio, it was reported. The complex will also have a community center that features exercise equipment, a computer center with internet access, a library and an activity area to encourage seniors to stay active.

Local, state and federal resources — including $5.6 million in housing revenue bonds approved by the Holton City Commission — are being used to build the complex, it was reported. More information on Prairie View Senior Residences may be found at www.homesteadks.org or by calling the Homestead office in Holton at 364-0110.