By Jean Shanley
Meadville Tribune
Saturday, February 18, 2017
CONNEAUT LAKE — Construction of Evans Square, a senior housing complex at Conneaut Lake, is expected to start in May.
At a recent meeting of Conneaut Lake Borough Council, an announcement was made that the Hudson Group of Hermitage was to get a building permit for the complex later that week.
Kelley Coey, development coordinator for the Hudson Group, said Thursday that the permit had been obtained Feb. 3. The group is working on finishing the financial closing process and the bidding process for subcontractors.
Depending on how long that takes, she expects the construction to start in May and take about one year.
Evans Square is more than a $10 million project. The three-story housing complex will be located at the southeast corner of North Fifth and Line streets in the borough.
It will be 38,950 square feet with 40 units — 36 with one-bedroom units and four with two bedrooms — for senior citizens on property owned by Alan Moss.
No applications for occupancy are being accepted yet, she said.
Coey also addressed rumors that a second project is being planned for Conneaut Lake.
She said at this time that is not the plan, but in a few years if the demand were there, it would be a possibility.
“Time will tell,” she said.
Work also is continuing on the revitalization plan for Water Street and Fireman’s Beach in a multimillion project being spearheaded by the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee (CLCDC).
Bill Eldridge, a member of borough council and chairman of the CLCDC, updated council members on the progress of funding for the project and talked with government officials about combining grants to do the project.
He also said appraisals will be done on the Robert and Kathleen Moss property, which the Mosses plan to donate to the borough if the donation is considered as “matching” funds for the grant. Paperwork on the project continues to be completed, he said.
Eldridge also had drawings available for the council members to review on the planned revitalization, noting final approval will be expected.
No date has been set regarding the renovation program on Water Street and Fireman’s Beach. Previous expectations were that if it did not start in spring, it would start in the fall after the summer tourist season.
During the meeting, council approved a $250,000 credit line being offered by Marquette Savings Bank for the project, if needed.
Council also approved some of the invoices for engineering work done on the project.
Evans Square is not an official project of the CLCDC; however, indications are that the CLCDC revitalization project was a contributing factor in the approval of funding for Evans Square.