Red Deer County has forced the long awaited Autumn Glen Lodge upgrade back into the public and governmental spotlight.
Innisfail's Autumn Glen Lodge was placed on the top of the Red Deer County strategic priority list for 2014 on Jan. 21, which has triggered Parkland Foundation board member communities to finally deal with the aging facility after years of discussions.
ìIt is important to us (county council) that we address the issue of Autumn Glen,î said Jim Wood, Red Deer County mayor. ìOur jurisdiction really needs affordable housing for seniors, and with the present recommendation for replacement of the 54-year-old building, we need to look at it now.î
Part of the issue for county council is that of the funding requisition formula which has not changed since 1959.
ìWe also need to look at the funding formula agreement to make sure it accurately reflects the present,î said Wood. ìThings have changed.î
Heather Taylor, Innisfail councillor and Parkland Foundation board member, noted the board recognizes the urgent need for the facility to be replaced or upgraded but was unsure as to what that might look like. She added the option of modular construction, which is less expensive and has been proven in northern Alberta, was a new possibility being examined.
ìParkland Foundation has been researching and planning for some time and is committed to replacing the existing building,î said Marie Flowers, Parkland Foundation chief administrative officer. ìMuch of the background work has been done, including a needs assessment and current facility assessment.î
The proposed upgrade carries a tentative $22-million price tag for the first three phases. Flowers said her agency must be sure to get the best bang for its buck and other building options are being explored.
The vision for the lodge's upgrades or replacement will see expanded rooms of between 300 and 400 square feet as compared to the current areas, which in some cases are as small as 140 square feet. Currently, the facility hallways are considered too narrow to accommodate wheelchairs, and only 20 rooms have a bathtub. Since initial construction in 1959 after the passing of the Homes For The Aged Act, standards have changed numerous times.
In March of last year discussions with Alberta Municipal Affairs and the Bethany Care Society produced the possibility of a partnership, with Flowers optimistic that Parkland could secure financing for up to 75 per cent of the project at an interest rate of about 2 per cent.
ìThere has been minimal movement on our discussions since then,î said R. Greer Black, president and chief executive officer of the Bethany Group. ìWe want to work with all groups and levels of government to see what we all bring to the table. This will be no cut and dry process.î
He noted the process is continuing, and that the final facility will reflect the growth of Central Alberta, and market dynamics of the low-cost housing industry.
ìFunding for the upgrade to Autumn Glen will be a challenge,î said Kerry Towle, Wildrose MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake. ìThere are two options - full municipal funding or municipal level/provincial government shared funding.
ìIn one case, the county would fund the entire project, tentatively pegged at $22 million last year,î added Towle. ìOr Parkland Foundation could apply for a government Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) grant and reduce the amount required from the county.î
Towle said that governmental reluctance to consider senior lodge funding and its current practice of not doing so has created a more challenging process. The last seniors lodge financed by the Albert Government was built in 1984.
ìEither way the project is funded, it has a huge impact for the municipality,î added Towle. ìKeeping taxpayers and the needs of the community balanced is of vital importance. The municipality will do the right thing. They really have no choice. If they don't, it will cost more in the long run.î
