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Smith Hall
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Smith Hall was conceived in the early 1990's as a 20 unit senior housing project to be located adjacent to the Family Shelter and Thrift Store. The land was secured and efforts began to raise the required funding for construction. The funding was delayed because of problems with obtaining US Army Corps of Engineer's permits under section 404 of the Clean Water Act. |
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In the fall of 1994, HUD funding was obtained for the project, with the stipulation that the priority would be given to lower income senior citizens. Design on the project began and in the spring of 1995, HUD gave St. Vincent de Paul an additional grant for five units of senior housing. To accomodate the additional units, four more lots on the south side of the site were obtained. By late spring of 1996, all of the local permits were in place and design of the 25 unit facility began. The design was completed and the constructors selected during the summer of 1996. |
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Realizing the limited construction time left during 1996, the project was redesigned to accomodate panelizing the structure. During the winter of 1996-1997, the contractor constructed all of the wall, floor, and roof elements of the structure in panels for erection during the summer of 1997. Foundations and floor slabs were poured during the early spring of 1997, after the ground had thawed. Erection of the panelized walls and floors followed. With the setting of the roof in mid July, the structural shell was complete. Finish work followed, with occupancy projected to begin in December of 1997. |
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Smith Hall is named in memory of the Smith family, who originally settled and owned the land on which the St. Vincent de Paul complex is built. Smith Hall contains 24 senior apartments, containing a single bedroom, kitchen, bath, and living room. It contains several community spaces for senior activities and a larger Community Room for community meetings. Each resident has one carport space. Recreational garden spaces for each resident will be created with the landscaping in the spring of 1999. |
