The City Council approved a new purchase agreement for the former McKinley School for the development into a senior living facility, with Coachlight Properties LLC and Jonesboro Investments Corp., with the Planning Commission reviewing the parking needs of the project. The new agreement changes the number of units from 60 to 100, with 106 parking spaces. The reduced parking is based on the 72 of the units being designated for continuing care, including assisted living and memory care units, whose residents are less likely to have vehicles for which parking spaces would be needed.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – The long-delayed McKinley School senior housing redevelopment will be revised to include more assisted living and memory care units, which will require less off-street parking than senior independent living units.
The revised agreement with Coachlight Properties LLC and Jonesboro Investment Corp. defines continuing care language as part of the redevelopment, changes the number of units from 60 to 100, and calls for 106 parking spaces, a reduction based on the revised use of the facility.
The revised plan calls for 28 independent living apartments, with two parking spaces each, plus 72 units for continuing care, which will include assisted-living and memory care units, whose residents generally do not drive.
The City Council asked the planning commission to review the planned development proposal to ensure the parking for the development — is within a residential neighborhood — meets the needs of the facility and the surrounding residents.
The redevelopment of the former school building eliminates the need for ongoing maintenance to a vacant building, and provides future tax revenue to the city when the building is sold for redevelopment.
The Neighborhood Revitalization and Development coordinator will facilitate the closing for the property, which is at 640 Plum Street.
The project timeline calls for environmental and civil engineering surveys in September, with the submittal of site and landscaping plan expected by February.
The City Council and Planning Commission approval of the final site plan and the planned unit development is slated for March, with the approval of the National Park Service for historic tax credits expected to follow in April, followed by building permit applications.
Site preparation and construction is hoped to begin in June, with the construction complete and occupancy approved a year later.
(Sue Suchyta can be reached at [email protected])