The Flats at Coach Crossing project was approved by the Mo. Housing Development Corporation. The project will include 40 units for seniors 55 and older.

Tammi Creason, developer for the project as well as others such as The Oaks Apartments and The Villas Downtown, talked about the need for senior housing in Excelsior Springs and ways in which The Oaks Apartments located downtown is affecting seniors.

“The Oaks is eligible, at the current owner’s discretion, to start transitioning to a more traditional market rate opportunity,” she said. “That was actually always the plan when we first started that project — to bring more types of housing downtown and long-term neighborhood stabilization goals.

“The current residents are protected at affordable rent for a few years, but it was important to ensure they have options should that occur over the next few years,” she said, noting the Oaks Apartments and many other projects have a list of people waiting to get a living space.

Projects approved by the Mo. Housing Development Corporation allow for affordable rent for the future residents.

“The financing program we use is a competitive process,” said Creason. “We aren’t subsidized, meaning we don’t have money to ‘pay a portion of the rent for individuals.’ Instead, we compete for construction financing that helps us keep the rents more affordable for working families and seniors with ‘average’ incomes. We often call it workforce housing.”

Creason also said being approved was part of the momentum of economic development projects happening around Excelsior Springs.

“It tells an overall story that this is a town that is still working for its residents,” she said.

Creason began the project of the Flats at Coach Crossing because of a trip to Excelsior Springs last summer.

“While visiting my mother- in-law this summer, we popped in to see the manager at The Oaks. I was reminded that the project (The Oaks) is converting to market over the next few years. I did that project under my former employer and have been gone for enough years now that I don’t track all the exit days. It spurred me directly over to the city office because I realized we needed to focus on new options for the seniors in the community. The city was amazing and we just went to work,” she said.

The Flats at Coach Crossing is planned to be constructed at Tracy Ave and 69 Hwy, across from the Excelsior Springs Fire Department, Creason said.

“We loved that area due to its proximity to new jobs in the area, the hospital, the community center and planned road projects happening in the city,” she added. Creason also noted they hope to break ground in the spring or early summer of 2023, and construction is slated to end in summer or fall of 2024.

The units are “proposed as a cottage style, single story, duplex, fourplex type row houses,” Creason said, also mentioning “final elevations will start coming to life after the beginning of the year.” The units will be two bedroom and one bathroom, with a single car garage.

The units may have aspects of past homes that were near the site of the project, according to Creason.

“We love the history of the historic tavern and cottage development that sat near this site in the 1920s-1930s and might use that as some inspiration. I’m a historic developer at heart and love paying tribute to the community when it is possible to incorporate,” she said.

Seniors could see progress on the construction of the building on Facebook soon, but it may be a while before an application will be available.

“Usually as soon as we start construction, we try to get an active management Facebook page and web page to keep everyone updated on construction and progress. We will maintain courtesy call lists but won’t start actively taking applications until usually 90 to 120 days before completion so residents can plan more accurately,” said Creason.