By Nathan King
Salina Post
Future tenants and Salina Presbyterian Manor's leadership team broke ground Tuesday morning as construction officially began on a $15 million housing project at the Manor.
"We had a need from our current waiting list to expand our villas—the single family residences," said Bruce Shogren, president and CEO of Presbyterian Manors of Mid America (PMMA). "We've been working on it but COVID slowed us down a little bit. We started up our marketing and we have a first phase of 22 units, of which 11 are already reserved."
The Villas will be built just east of Ralph Reitz Memorial Park. Construction of the first 22 units, making up Phase One, has begun, though seven additional units are planned according to information from Salina Presbyterian Manor. The first villa ready for occupancy will be in the fall of 2023. The Villas will be the only single-detached homes at the 35-acre campus, located near the existing pond, with several walking paths and a new pickleball court.
Salina Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Eric Brown attended the groundbreaking and spoke about the importance of identifying pain points in the community and the economic impact The Villas project will have.
"The thing we always talk about at the chamber is the big picture. What does Salina need – what are our pain points, and housing is a pain point," Brown said. "We need housing at all levels, and that includes the retirement community. Believe it or not, our number one economic driver in Saline County is retirees. It's almost $500 million more than the second driver which is healthcare. Salina has become known as a great place to retire."
Collaborating with Presbyterian Manors of Mid America on this Salina Presbyterian Manor project are the following companies: Developer - Greystone Communities, Irving, Texas; Architect - AG Architecture, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; Interior Design – RDG Planning & Design, St. Louis Office, and General Constructor – Simpson Construction Services, Wichita, Kansas
“We are very excited to bring The Villas to this beautiful campus. The addition of The Villas residences at Salina Presbyterian Manor will be a dream come true,” Shogren said. “It affords us the opportunity to turn the spotlight on this wonderful project and community in order to celebrate its 42-years of heritage with the greater Salina community.”
According to Presbyterian Manors of Mid America, the new housing units will have the following amenities:
A two-car garage
An open floor plan with nine-foot ceilings
A storm shelter and walk-in closet
Covered patios
Fully equipped electric kitchen
42-inch high upper cabinets with soft close hardware
Following are additional renderings of what The Villas will look like.
