Carondelet Village

Carondelet Village Moves from Design to Construction Phase

Joyfully and with great gratitude we closed on Carondelet Village August 12. The bonds have sold easily. The building permit has been secured, and we have now completed all approval and permit processes and have the funds to begin construction. Watch Together and the CSJ website for ongoing construction information.

Progress on Carondelet Village is now shifting from design, development, and site preparation to actual construction.The final site preparation project is taking down the Bethany kitchen and dining area. This will occur soon after Labor Day.

Initial construction activity will focus on the area immediately adjacent to Bethany. This section will be first, as access is very limited. The construction crew is digging down 16 feet, then pouring the footings for the building. Elsewhere on the site the workers will be repeating this same process for the care and independent living area. This excavation work will be ongoing through September and October. The entire construction time for Phase 1 is estimated to be 14 months.

Landscaping adjacent to the new delivery road off Fairview will be completed soon. Materials planted will be native, low maintenance, and complementary to the existing woods and prairie.

The Interiors Committee is meeting regularly, reviewing floor and wall finishes and making final selections for the main public areas. We will be looking at furniture samples in the near future.

A Transition Planning Committee has been formed. The committee members’ charge is to develop a checklist of necessary items for each unit and then meet with each sister at Bethany and Provincial House to determine each person’s needs. This committee will also develop a master moving plan.

Responses to the reservation letters to the general public have been received with understanding. Tammy Jo Riebe is currently scheduling meetings with future residents.

In your daily prayers please remember in gratitude all the many people who walked this journey of design, development and site preparation. They are eager to see Carondelet Village become reality and have given their best to move it forward. Also, please remember all who are working on the construction site, or in remote locations to advance the work on the site. Pray for their safety and good health.

Margaret Belanger

We Move Ever Onward With Carondelet Village

THANK YOU – to the Groundbreaking Committee, all who volunteered to help, and all who, by their presence, welcoming hospitality, and supportive, encouraging words made our groundbreaking and all that has led up to it such a wonderful, prayerful celebration. It was truly a “Community Event”! We have received accolades from so many who were in attendance. Our (CSJ and PH) stories woven together in the context of mission touched so many. The ambiance and ease and flow of the entire event enabled all to relax and enter into full participation.

We are now moving into the next phase of this Carondelet Village—actual construction.

The St. Paul City Council approved the Carondelet Village Plat Review after the public hearing July 21. No one was present at the
hearing to express any concerns. This completes all city review and approval processes.

The closing date for Carondelet Village is set for Thursday, August 12. At the closing we receive the bond funds and can then commence construction.

Progress on site preparation is moving forward on schedule. As you view the site now, think ahead to completion at which time we will renew and refresh the land with native plants, shrubs and many and varied trees.

Consortium folks have developed a concise statement to explain the grant and their focus. It is: “The Consortium at Carondelet Village is a collaborative group of providers empowering area residents to live vibrant and independent lives. The focus of the consortium is to inspire older adults to share their gifts with the broader community and connect to a variety of wellness resources, including educational, spiritual and recreational opportunities, coordinated home health care, transportation services and dining options.”

Additional explanation, if needed, follows:

Consortium associates coordinate various services provided to residents and community members to help manage chronic and complex conditions and promote client independence and wellness. Participants may choose the services they feel will help them remain vitally active and independent.

The Consortium at Carondelet Village is a truly person-centered approach that recognizes and builds on each individual’s unique strengths as a whole person (physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social) to facilitate self-management of wellness and life choices. Its success will make Carondelet Village a model of best practices replicable throughout the state and across the country.

As we move from site preparation to actual construction, we will keep you informed via this site, Together, and Rapid Relay on the CSJ Forum. A video camera will be mounted and scan the work site. This camera will feed a steady stream of pictures to the Carondelet Village website and CSJ Forum Site. We will let you know when that is mounted and how to “view from home.” In the meantime, if site preparation and/or construction curiosity overcome you, please view from a safe distance. Walking near the area of work is not safe and it distracts and worries the workers if they see you in the area. They are as concerned for your safety as you are for theirs!

Public Service Center Has a New Name

Carondelet Village is designed to have a public service center area that will offer wellness and holistic services with opportunities for medical services, spiritual and educational development, physical and recreation therapy, and a variety of dining options. These services will be available to sisters and consociates as well as the Highland-area community.

A committee discussed what to name the public service center and has determined to call it Carondelet Circle (formerly it was called the Integrated Service Center or by the term “Village Square”).

Carondelet Village Groundbreaking

The July 20th groundbreaking ceremony for Carondelet Village drew over 500 people from the CSJ, Consociate, Presbyterian Homes and Highland Park communities. The morning's events included song, prayer, readings and addresses from Katherine Rossini, CSJ, of the Province Leadership Team; Dan Lindh, CEO of Presbyterian Homes & Services; and St. Paul City Council Member Patrick Harris, among others. Below are photos taken from the event and the press release of the St. Paul City Council's final approval of Carondelet Village, which has allowed the building plans to move forward.


Sounding of the LePuy Bell, Carolyn Puccio, CSJ                 Saint Joseph statue during pre-ceremony setup

Singers: Liz Kerwin, CSJ (L) and Cathy Steffens, CSJ                Remarks from Dan Lindh, CEO, Presbyterian Homes,
Back: Marilaurice Hemlock. Violin: Anastasia Verdoljak           with Katherine Rossini, CSJ, Province Leadership Team

Voices of Word and Story. L-R: Ken Hooge, Beth Carlson, Jean Greener, Joan Mitchell, CSJ

L-R: Meg Gillespie, CSJ; Katherine Rossini, CSJ; Jean Wincek, CSJ; Dan Lindh, CEO, Presbyterian
Homes, Carolyn Puccio, CSJ; Gina Webb, CSJ; Joan Mitchell, CSJ

CSJs, Presbyterian Homes, and community members celebrate Carondelet Village

Rendering of Carondelet Village

St. Paul City Council gives final approval to Carondelet Village in St. Paul

The St. Paul City Council’s approval on Wednesday, July 21 of Carondelet Village, www.carondeletvillage.org, cleared the way for construction to begin on a new senior living and health facility on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, in the Highland area of St. Paul. The project is a partnership between Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, and Presbyterian Homes & Services.

“With this approval, we expect construction to begin by mid-August,” said Sister Margaret Belanger, CSJ, the project manager for the Sisters. Site preparation including utilities, road access changes, excavation, and demolition has already begun. Nearly 650 people attended a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, July 20, for Carondelet Village. “This event was a welcome marker in what has been a six-year process of thinking, praying, and planning.”

The $60.4 million project, expected to be completed in 2012 [A1] , will include 259 new senior housing units consisting of 149 independent-living apartments, 46 assisted-living units, 19 memory care units, and a 45-bed care center [A2] . While many units are reserved for Sisters, many of whom currently reside at Bethany Convent, persons interested in the project should contact Tammy Jo Riebe, 651-690-7081 or triebe@preshomes.org. Carondelet Village will eventually replace Bethany convent. More than 1000 people are currently on a Carondelet Village interest list.

Among the project’s highlights will be The Consortium at Carondelet Village, a collaborative group of providers empowering area residents to live vibrant and independent lives. The focus of The Consortium is to inspire older adults to share their gifts with the broader community and connect to a variety of wellness resources, including educational, spiritual and recreational opportunities, coordinated home health care, transportation services and dining options.

The innovative consortium concept received a grant of more than $860,000 from the MN Department of Health and Human Services. “This summer, we will be testing eight areas as part of The Consortium’s services,” explained Georgia Lane, Consortium Director, “including transportation, insurance rule management, regulations and forms, volunteer opportunities, enrichment activities, care giver support services, and health promotion information."

Project financing is being arranged through tax-exempt bonds and equity from the project’s collaborators. Bonds in increments of $25,000 are being offered by Piper Jaffray. (For information contact John Dunn, 888-233-9101.)

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, www.csjstpaul.org, are a Roman Catholic community of women religious who are animated by the Spirit of Jesus to reach out in compassion and justice to meet the needs of our times. Founded in south-central France in 1650, they came to St. Paul in 1851 at the invitation of Archbishop Joseph Cretin. They currently maintain ministries in the areas of spirituality, education, healthcare, social services, creative arts and advocacy for change. Worldwide, there are more than 1500 sisters and 600 lay associates serving in provinces, vice-provinces and missions located in the United States, Peru, Japan, Chile and Uganda.

Presbyterian Homes & Services, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a non-profit, faith-based organization committed to providing a broad array of high quality housing choices, care, and service options for older adults. Last year they served more than 11,000 individuals within 34 communities throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota, in Wisconsin, and Iowa. Since 1955, when its first community was built, Presbyterian Homes has steadily gained a reputation for being an innovative leader concerned with promoting the independence, vitality and well-being of those they serve. For more information, go to www.preshomes.com.

Carondelet Village

The St. Paul Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) and Presbyterian Homes of Minnesota are developing plans for a senior living and health facility on our grounds at the corner of Randolph and Fairview Avenues in St. Paul. The facility will be named Carondelet Village. Click here to learn more about Presbyterian Homes .

Drawing of how the new facility might look

Information and continuing updates regarding this project will be available on our website, or you can email Peggy Scoggins at pscoggins@seniorpartners.com. You can also call 651-690-7081.

“In developing this concept, a group of sisters visited senior care facilities throughout the country,” explains Sister Margaret Belanger, CSJ, who is serving as the project’s manager. “What we discovered is a changing model for senior care. Our focus is on providing person-centered care in a home setting which, ultimately, is healthier and less costly. Our desire is to provide an environment where common spaces promote companionship, creativity, and intellectual stimulation and ample private areas encourage small group gatherings.

“We began focusing on this project in 2005,” continues Sister Belanger. “At that time we were faced with the realization that Bethany Convent, a health and retirement facility for Sisters of St. Joseph, is structurally outdated and can’t be renovated. We undertook a marketing study that suggested there was a need for senior care in the Highland area. We will repeat that study to reaffirm this need before continuing with the project. Its outcome will not change the need for an updated facility to care for our sisters.”

“The facility we are designing will include an Integrated Service Center that will offer wellness and holistic services with opportunities for medical services, spiritual and educational development, physical and recreation therapy, and a variety of dining options.” says Sister Virginia Webb, of our Province Leadership Team. “We anticipate that the services available to residents at the Integrated Service Center will also be available to the Highland-area community.”

“The residence will offer a continuum of senior care ranging from independent living to assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care,” says Allen Black, developer with Senior Housing Partner, a subsidiary of Presbyterian Homes. “Although still in the conceptual stage, construction of Carondelet Village will provide housing and care for the sisters and the broader community. We could begin construction by the summer of 2009 with occupancy potentially available by early 2011. While we have created conceptual renderings, we are just beginning legal work, permitting, and financial arrangements.”

Possible site configuration In collaboration, the Sisters of St. Joseph and Presbyterian Homes have appointed Laura “Beth” Carlson as Bethany Convent Administrator. She will help facilitate this project. Ms. Carlson brings a rich history of expertise in health, human services, and housing programs. She most recently served as associate director to Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. for the Diocese of Superior, in Superior, WI. She has also served as Director of Housing for CCB Housing Management in Northwest WI. She is a doctoral candidate for a Doctor of Education in Leadership from Saint Mary University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN and holds a Masters of Science in Health Services Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliette, IL and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

Information and continuing updates regarding this project will be available on our website, or you can email Peggy Scoggins at pscoggins@seniorpartners.com. You can also call 651-690-7081.

Presbyterian Homes & Services of Minnesota is committed to providing to older adults a broad continuum of care that is of the highest quality and designed to promote independence, dignity and well-being. Through innovation and leadership, they provide compassionate and highly competent care with the inspiration of God’s love.

Carondelet Village Update
July 5, 2010

The St. Paul City Council’s approval of the authorization of tax-exempt bonds and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) were major steps in securing the financing for the Carondelet Village Project. Tax Increment Financing is the plan by which the property tax is phased in. The City Council has the authority to determine the percentage of the tax that goes to Ramsey County, St. Paul School Board and the City of St. Paul. The St. Paul City Council is currently working to develop a Low Income Housing Fund. A portion of the Property Tax (amount yet to be determined by the City Council) from the Carondelet Village Property Tax will become part of this Low Income Housing program. Carondelet Village, while a senior housing project, will indirectly be assisting the effort to provide low income housing in the community.

One more city review is pending. That is a Plat Review, which is a final review of the building plans by all city service departments (police, fire, water etc.) utilities, a legal review of the title and easements, and finally a hearing notice to the nearby neighbors inviting them to a hearing before the St. Paul City Council where they can express their questions or concerns about the project.

We do not yet know when this hearing will take place but expect it to be in late July or early August. Meg Gillespie and Ann Thompson hand delivered letters with contact information to our closest neighbors on Fairview, St. Paul Academy and the businesses on the corner of Randolph and Fairview this past week.

Bond Counsel folks are preparing to market the bonds for Carondelet Village. They will be placing an ad in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Star Tribune on July 11 & 12 and 18 & 19. The ad will provide contact information for anyone interested in purchasing these bonds. The bonds will be sold in $25,000 increments. If you know someone interested in purchasing these bonds, they can contact John Dunn at Piper Jaffray. The number is 888-233-9101.

The Carondelet Village Consortium program has identified eight areas that they will be testing during the summer as possible pilot projects to begin in late fall of this year. These areas include transportation, managing insurance rules, regulations and forms, volunteer opportunities, enrichment activities and how to communicate these, caregiver support services and health promotion information. All who have and are working on the grant are delighted that quite a number of sisters are participating in the grant program in a variety of ways.

The utility work is progressing well. The gas line is completed except for the switch-over to gas coming in through the new lines. This will take place at the time the kitchen wing of Bethany is demolished.

The electrical service is ready to be converted over in all the Randolph complex buildings. The week of July 12 the generator will be moved. Because of the high level of activity at Carondelet Center the next couple of weeks, switch-over of electrical service will not take place before July 22 or 23. The Randolph Campus buildings will each need to be without power for one day. Bethany, because it has full generator back-up, will not be without power at any time in this process. All of this work is predicated on good weather.

For those living and working on the Randolph Campus, you will be informed by building when power will be down and what options are available during that time.

The Groundbreaking prayer ritual and Celebration will be July 20^th. The ritual is rich in history, prayerful and celebratory. At this writing we have over 525 folks who have responded YES to the RSVP. Lest you think this is typical – it is not! The planning group optimistically thought 400. We are all quite amazed at this response.

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT! We have been cleared for…SITE PREPARATION. We are on the move!!

The following projects will begin as soon as permits are secured and the electrical changeover is completed.

· The main water line to St. Kate’s comes in off Fairview and goes to what was the Power House. This line needs to be moved South out of the construction site.

· St. Kate’s road adjacent to our Bethany Delivery road will be replaced with a new road. Under this new road will be St. Kate’s main water line, and new domestic water and fire lines for Carondelet Village.

· Excavation of dirt for the three short wings of Carondelet Village housing nursing care, assisted living and memory care will also begin. We want to complete this work before the Fall Semester begins.

· Demolition of the existing garages, clearing the site of vegetation and installation of a security fence will take place. Clearing the site means that all remaining trees, shrubs etc. will be removed and the ground will be leveled to allow the safe movement of heavy construction equipment.

· The new Bethany delivery road coming in off Fairview, across from Juno will be constructed.

· Finally, the contractor, Frana, will be moving their work trailer onto the site.

At this time, we anticipate that this work will take place in July and be completed in August. We anticipate a closing on or about August 10, securing the Carondelet Village Building Permit immediately after that, and then WE WILL HAVE …CONSTRUCTION!!