Charles Everhardt of Lockwood Development Partners presented his business plan to New Castle City Council during a caucus meeting in June. Currently, those plans are on hold as the project remains in the planning stages.
Construction on the former St. Francis Hospital is on hold but is still projected to be partially operational by next summer.
"We're working to try to put together all of the final design plans," said Charles Everhardt, president of Lockwood Development Partners who purchased the building from UPMC for $25,000 in March. "We're working with the VA, veterans affairs, to get the specific type of room design and sizes. How many folks will be living there, and, you know, our commissary requirements finalized first."
Everhardt presented business plans to New Castle City Council multiple times this summer in order to answer questions concerning a conditional use request. The request listed the building as a wellness center, apartments and studio apartments.
After much discussion among the councilmen and a report from the city's solicitor, Jason Medure, the city approved the request in late June. Although, when the request was approved, construction was projected to begin in August with an July 2020 completion date.
"We're dealing with design issues, so you know, you have to have windows for every resident, you have to have a certain amount of other amenities," said Everhardt. "We anticipate submitting for permits either before the end of the year or the first quarter of next year," said Everhardt.
Construction for the first phase, Everhardt hopes, will begin early next year, and will potentially be completed in June. As far as what phase one entails, Everhardt says that will depend on the VA.
Although the building was assessed at over $700,000 and sold for a fraction of that price, Everhardt says the budget for the project could cost upwards of $15 million.
"We're doing our budgets right now, and we're more than 15 (million dollars). We're not quite at 20 (million dollars), but we're getting there," said Everhardt.
The buildings two operations will be to house older veterans as well as house younger veterans who are going to school on the hospital's campus.
"The first course we're starting to feel comfortable with is nursing," said Everhardt. "There's a need for that in the marketplace."
Other programs are in the process of being created as well, said Everhardt.
The teachers and curriculums will come onto campus from vocational colleges in the area, and we would bring them in to be the primary educator," said Everhardt. "We would partner, we would joint venture with some educational program that already has a veteran curriculum."
Although the zoning board recommended the request be approved, some of the information Everhardt presented to city council differed from his application. Plans to include a drug rehab center, housing homeless veterans and educating younger veterans were tossed around, but the city's solicitor, Jason Medure, said he'd have to recommend the city deny request without specific conditions.
The conditions of the request were:
•400 resident maximum, divided between long-term senior housing, nursing home living and dormitory living. The numbers apply to veterans.
•Residents 55 and older are eligible to stay in long-term senior housing and the nursing home.
•Must meet square footage requirements for housing and parking.
•Staff security — human and electronic — must be on site.
•Nursing home must comply to local, state and federal certification guidelines.
The request was accepted in June by the council after Everhardt had agreed to those terms.