Residential community will house 64 people who have barriers to an independent lifestyle
The long wait is over Elevate Estates.
With Tuesday’s groundbreaking, Elevate will mark the official start of construction for its new residential community, Elevate Estates, which will provide housing for 64 people who have barriers to an independent lifestyle.
Tuesday’s 12 noon ceremony will be at Elevate’s current location at 1030 Market St. and not the location of the future Elevate Estates on Old Madisonville Road. Elevate Executive Director Julie Wischer said the future site, right now a field, isn’t handicap accessible. Also, snow or rain are predicted for Tuesday.
A makeshift dirt turn will be set up for the ceremony in the warehouse of the Market Street building, Wischer said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is scheduled to be there. Wischer also said she has been in contact with staffers of U.S. Rep. James Comer, but it’s not been confirmed if the congressman will attend.
The $14.5 million project will be built on a 12-acre campus on Old Madisonville Road and will include 16 two-bedroom apartments and 32 one-bedroom apartments.
Elevate applied to the Kentucky Housing Corporation in August 2023 and was initially approved for funding in late January 2024. The funding structure has changed since then, Wischer said, with $9 million coming from HOME Investment Partnerships Program of the American Rescue Plan and $5.5 million coming from HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
Wischer said previously the new campus will require at least two employees present at the residences 24 hours a day. Additionally, with the new campus and residential community, 13 new employees would be needed, she said.
Elevate Estates will also offer group and social activities, clubs, and on-call drivers to take residents to appointments and fun activities off-site, she said.
Elevate, formerly the Hugh E. Sandefur Training Center, currently provides day training for people with intellectual disabilities who have a goal of moving to outside jobs, if their skill level allows. Elevate staff also teach speech, spelling, current events, English, math and work ready classes.
The developer is Bill Hollingsworth, of Equal Development LLC from Carmel, Ind. Hollingworth had recently completed the Audubon School Senior Apartments on Clay Street when Wischer first contacted him.
