When Debbie Price runs into residents of the former Evergreen Elm group home that was destroyed by fire last year, the question they usually ask is, “Will our new house be ready next week?”
Price, executive director of Evergreen Elm, will now be able to tell residents of the former 8 Elm St. home their new residence will be constructed this summer and possibly ready for occupancy “before the snow flies.”
On Tuesday, Price and other officials from Evergreen Elm and the community, met at the group home site for an informal groundbreaking ceremony. The site will be home to a new $1.5 million structure constructed by the residential agency for people with intellectual disabilities.
“April of last year was the fire,” Price said while looking around the hillside lot of the former home. During the accidental fire on April 20, 2016, residents of the historic home were quickly and safely escorted from the structure. Most of the 11 residents were split up after the fire and have lived in other structures since that time.
Price said the agency had hoped to begin the project sooner, but had to comply with a number of code enforcement requirements.
“There was a lot we had to do because we’re not the typical size residential home,” Price explained. “We appreciate all of the help we got from the city of Bradford and from zoning and code enforcement” as well as the Office of Economic and Community Development.
She said the 5,000-square-feet, split-level home, designed by Bradford architect Curt Wallace of C.J. Wallace Engineering LLC, will have all new plumbing and electrical wiring. Construction will be conducted by Hennard Construction of Bradford.
“We’re going to be laying it out (Wednesday) and then we’ll be able to break ground,” said Cody Hennard, construction project manager.
The structure will be accented with a turret, or tower, containing a weathervane that will match the style of some of the historic Victorian-era homes in the neighborhood.
“We can’t make the old 8 Elm come back, but we wanted to make it look a little bit historic,” Price remarked. In addition, she said the home will be named the “Benton House,” in honor of the late Rick Benton who was a longtime supporter and member of the Evergreen Elm board. In honor of Benton, who was known for wearing bow ties, Jeff Carson, vice president of the Evergreen Elm board, wore a bow tie to the ceremony.
In providing other information on the house, Price said an undamaged garage on the property that is used by the agency’s maintenance staff, will receive new siding to match the residence.
“The design (of the house) took a long time to get it exactly the way we wanted it,” Price continued. “We involved staff through the whole process, as well as the staff who work with the individuals” from the group home.
Wallace said office space will be located on the ground level of the home, with a door facing a driveway off Elm Street.
“The upstairs will be all residential (for 15 individuals) and they will have access from Elm Street,” Wallace added, while noting the entrance and residential area will be handicap-accessible. A door will also be located on the South Avenue side of the home, as well.
Price said funding for the house was provided through the agency’s annual campaign as well as community donations to help with the house replacement. Mortgages for the project are financed through CNB Bank in Bradford.
Wallace said Evergreen Elm has been a proponent of using local labor, contractors and materials, which is the case with the current project. Along those lines, landscaping for the project will be provided by Graham’s Greenhouse and Landscaping in Bradford.
On a final note, Laurie Ludwig, Evergreen Elm’s program director for supportive living, said the residents are all anxious to move into their new home.
“Several of them are eager to get back, they walk by here (regularly) just to see if anything has started,” Ludwig shared.
