West Liberty senior community to finish $9.5M in renovations

The Green Hills Community for seniors will complete $9.5 million of renovations by the end of the month, Director of Marketing Rebecca Marker-Smith said.

Seventy-six senior apartment units, about a fourth of the campus, will have been renovated upon completion of the project, which began in September of 2014. These units are part of the affordable housing apartments available at Green Hills, Marker-Smith said, and tenants must meet income limits to move in.

All but 16 apartments have been completed, she added, and they’ll be filled as soon as renovations are completed.

Improvements to the apartments include central air, washers and dryers, dishwashers, new flooring and new doors.

“It’s so much nicer than what we had,” resident Jean Maxwell said.

She’s been living on the Green Hills campus for 22 years.

“Some people complain, but I haven’t found trouble with anything,” Maxwell said of her experience with Green Hills.

Renovations to the rec center have also been made, Marker-Smith said, with the addition of a kitchen island and new double doors.

While the apartments are not fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, residents who do become wheelchair-bound can continue to live in their homes, Marker-Smith said.

The apartments were originally built in the 1970s with a loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural development program, according to a release from Green Hills.

The public was able to tour the new facilities during a grand opening event on the campus Friday.

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