Owensboro Health is finalizing the sale of several lots on Center Street and Hathaway Street, between Parrish Avenue and 14th Street, for the development of a new senior living community. Leitchfield-based Wabuck Development Company will purchase the property with plans to construct affordable housing units for residents who are at least 55 years old. A 5,000-square-foot adult daycare facility will also be located on the site.
Wabuck Development says Grace Senior Living Community will consist of 42 to 48 units and will be designed to promote independence and quality of life for senior residents. The center will also offer daily living and healthcare services, recreational activities and programs that encourage empowerment, officials say.
“Our goal for redeveloping the Parrish Avenue campus is to establish services that improve the health and well-being of the community, like primary care and health education,” said Greg Strahan, president and CEO of Owensboro Health. “A project like Grace Senior Living Community fits perfectly with our vision for the area and aligns with one of Owensboro Health’s priority focus areas: older adults and aging. I am proud that this property will be used in a way that benefits the health of our senior population.”
Tracey Glasscock, an Owensboro native and vice-president of Wabuck Development, says the Center Street site’s central location was an important factor in the decision to construct a facility there. City bus access, a farmers market and healthcare services are easily accessible in the neighborhood, Glasscock says, which helps to promote independent living for seniors.
“Wabuck Development is committed to creating an active community and a supportive atmosphere where elderly individuals can thrive,” Glasscock said. “Our service plans will provide the assistance seniors need to access important services and also enjoy life in their own homes. Managing over 4,000 units in Kentucky, we have learned that a services-rich environment helps enable elderly residents to live at home for longer periods of time.”
Studies show that the availability of affordable housing for seniors in Daviess County is inadequate, Glasscock says, so Kentucky Housing Corporation, our state’s housing finance agency, is one of several agencies that offers funding for this type of project. Owensboro Health offered the location to Wabuck for $350,000—slightly below its appraised value—to ensure that the project had a strong start, she adds. The site comprises 17 lots between Center Street and Hathaway Street and is located in the City of Owensboro’s Triplett Street Twist Revitalization zone.
Wabuck has selected Nicholasville-based REB Architects—and Owensboro native Emily Byrge—to design the facility.
Since relocating Owensboro Health Regional Hospital from Parrish Avenue to Pleasant Valley Road in 2013, Owensboro Health has been actively engaged in reimagining the Parrish campus, Strahan says. The health system has expanded its family medicine services, established a residency program and invested in a $12 million renovation of the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center, which is currently underway. It has also worked with Owensboro Regional Farmers Market to establish a permanent home at the corner of Triplett and Parrish.
“The redevelopment of the Parrish Avenue campus and the surrounding neighborhood is a true success story—one that we are proud to be a part of,” Strahan said. “Owensboro Health is committed to keeping the Parrish area vibrant and strong and to fully supporting the City’s Triplett Twist initiative. It is very gratifying to see good things happening for our community.”
