Will offer 56 apartments in Rome Township

ROME TOWNSHIP — In about a year ,there should be a new independent senior living community in the eastern end of the county.

That’s when Proctor’s Landing, a 56-unit independent senior living community, is expected to open.

“Everything was approved,” said Ralph Kline, assistant executive director of Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization. “We are finalizing all the plans for submission of the state building permits. We are looking at closing in the month of March.”

Construction is expected to start later in the spring.

“In the spring or summer 2017, hopefully, will be when we would be able to begin taking tenants,” Kline said.

Already there are 20 seniors who have asked to be notified when the complex opens.

The project is a partnership between CAO and PIRHL Developers LLC of Cleveland.

Seniors with incomes at or below 60 percent of the median income of the county will be eligible to live at Proctor’s Landing, where there will be 19 one-bedroom and 37 two-bedroom units. Average rent will be between $450 and $550 that includes water, sewer and trash, but not heat.

Tax credits were needed to get the $92 million project off the drawing board.

It took developers three times before the Ohio Housing Finance Agency granted them.

The project was originally slated for acreage across from Fairland East Elementary School, but the lack of required sewer lines made the project cost-prohibitive, costing it the credits.

The complex was then moved to across from Fairland Middle. That brought out protests from many in that neighborhood who began an unsuccessful petition drive against the project.