Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES—A $393,625 grant project to update apartments at the Hermann Senior Housing facilities, a joint project by the Hermann Senior Housing board and the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) of Des Moines, Iowa, was completed May 14.

Hermann Senior Housing includes 50 apartments at three locations across town. All three complexes were part of the renovation project.

The apartments received both interior and exterior improvements. Apartments received new kitchen cabinets, sinks, counter tops, medicine cabinets, light bars in bathrooms, stove, refrigerators and floor coverings. Exterior improvements included new fascia and soffit, vinyl siding on the gables, guttering, drainage work, a retaining wall, new sidewalks, handrails and door pads to reduce maintenance costs and improve the safety of the residents.

Lyle Thomas, senior community development specialist for Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) worked as a grant administrator on the project between the FHLB and the local housing board.

“MRPC wrote the grant for Hermann Senior Housing and the grant included a list of renovations,” Thomas said. “When the funds were awarded, we worked with the housing board to prepare specifications, get bids and get the work completed.”

The housing board was required to contribute a minimum of $22,532 in-kind funds to the project. Contractors included Hermann Lumber, CASCO Electric, Grannemann’s Sales and Service, Gleeson Landscaping, Rainbow Siding, J.D. Exteriors and Union Furniture.

Hermann Senior Housing Board Site Manager Valerie Pohlmann said the board completed a recent walk-through of the senior housing space.

“We are very satisfied with the hard work these contractors put in to make our senior housing a lovelier and safer place for all residents to be,” Pohlmann said.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 21, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion.