Land Purchase and New Development
St. Francis Manor Board Member Fran Conn and Landowner Bill Tish recently worked together to facilitate a great community service with St. Francis Manor’s purchase of four acres of land from Bill Tish to further develop the Seeland Park Retirement Community located in Grinnell. The property, known by many as the former Saddle Club land, is located at the end of Maple Street and is connected to two existing Seeland Park properties.
This new housing development will be the sixth construction phase for Seeland Park which offers affordable custom-built homes and maintenance-free living. The development will have approximately ten large spacious lots to accommodate either ten single-family homes, or four single-family homes and six large duplexes. Units will range in size from 1,800 sq. ft. to 2,400 sq. ft. of living space with two- or three-car garages. New homeowners won’t pay any lot costs or the typical general contractor mark-up fees for building materials, windows, flooring and appliances since St. Francis Manor is the general contractor for the project. This can amount to a savings of well over $100,000 in the initial construction process, allowing the homes to be much more affordable. Consequently, new owners will have more home value for their money.
In Photo: Bard Member Fran Conn, Chairperson Rose Osland, and Executive Director Dion Schrack
The survey, plot plan, utilities and rezoning will begin in August and construction of homes will start this fall or early next spring. Executive Administrator Dion Schrack says, “We had over a half dozen potential customers express an interest in future housing during our recent Seeland Park Open House.
Seeland Park currently has 137 independent-living homes and is responding to customer demand for affordable maintenance-free custom-built single-family homes and duplexes with two or more garages. We offer our customers the ability to stay in their homes as long as possible while receiving private home health care services through Community Services of St. Francis as their health care needs change.” Seeland Park is an active 55+ campus offering choice, convenience and community.
Each home is on ground level and has handicap-accessible doorways. The affordable monthly fee covers an emergency nurse-call system; maintenance and upkeep expenses such as lawn care, snow removal, repair/ replacement of appliances, hot water heaters, furnaces and air conditioners; as well as basic cable TV service. Seeland Park residents enjoy socializing with others during a variety of events and activities, including fitness classes, dinners, Fit Brains programs, cards, and games in the Social Center and Hawn Center. Outdoor amenities include lighted walking paths, garden plots and a bocce ball court. Seeland Park is more than a retirement community – it’s a way of life! Anyone interested in additional information about this new housing development may contact Dion Schrack at 641-236-7592.
