Strasburg Care Center asks Emmons County for $3 million toward new $18 million nursing home

Kenny, an administrator for Strasburg Care Center, told the Emmons County Board of Commissioners the facility built in 1962 needs full replacement and requested $3 million in county support toward an $18 million new building.

Kenny said the current building’s infrastructure is failing: “Out of the 4 boilers, we've replaced 1 boiler this last year, which cost us $80,000,” and that plumbing embedded in cinder block walls now has pinhole leaks that require ripping out walls to repair. He said a new roof alone would cost about $1,000,000 and that asbestos in block and ceiling materials adds demolition cost. Kenny said the facility earned quality awards in recent years and has been graded four to five stars for about 20 years, but older construction leaves it out of new-state funding scoring and produces an immediate financial hit: “Starting at January 2025, we're losing $25 per day per resident,” he said, an amount he estimated would total roughly $300,000 for last year’s census.

Why it matters: Kenny said the replacement plan keeps licensed capacity at 36 beds (30 skilled, six basic-care beds that can be reallocated to skilled beds by state notification) and aims to preserve local long-term care capacity in Strasburg, where the center is a major employer with roughly 83 staff. He told commissioners the project financing plan under discussion includes an anticipated $9 million USDA loan, up to $5 million from the Bank of North Dakota or a related state program, and $9 million in other debt to reach the $18 million total. He said the facility is currently short about $2,000,671 and thus is asking the county to consider $3,000,000 in support, spread over 25 years if the county chose that route.

Commissioner questions focused on size, timing, staffing and legal limits of county support. When asked about capacity, Kenny said the center is licensed for 36 beds and currently had 27 residents with a small near-term intake expected. On timing he said, if financing and planning work out, he would “like to break ground next spring.” On staffing he said the center uses some traveling nurses and has recently reduced reliance on travelers from prior highs, and reported hiring a registered nurse from the region.

County staff and commissioners raised legal and financing questions. County staff member Joe was asked to research senior-program financing and whether Emmons County legally could levy mills or otherwise devote county funds to a private project. A commissioner noted rough math showing a $3 million obligation repaid over 25 years would be about $120,000 per year, which the board discussed as equal to roughly “2 and a half to 3 mills per year” in Emmons County, depending on assessed values.

Kenny described potential state sources: he said the legislature passed funding this year for long-term care construction and that awards or program details for USDA and state programs would not be finalized until later in July. He also invited the commissioners to the facility’s community picnic on Aug. 3.

No formal county vote or commitment was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to research legal constraints and possible financing mechanisms and to report back.

Kenny and other presenters used descriptive figures and program names introduced during their remarks; the commissioners’ discussion centered on feasibility and legality rather than a motion to provide funds.