Commissioners add $300,000 to Saint Anthony's senior housing project, extend occupancy deadline to Aug. 31

The Potter County Commissioners Court voted to add $300,000 in ARPA funding to the Commons at Saint Anthony's conversion project and to extend the project's deadline to secure a certificate of occupancy to Aug. 31, 2025.

John Kiel, who presented the ARPA committee's recommendation, said the additional allocation would "help to buy down some of the cost for those additional loans" developers took to finish the project. Developer Daniel DeFrancesco of Commonwealth Development told the court the conversion is roughly 80% complete but has been delayed by late deliveries of critical electrical equipment; he said there is "a path" to a temporary certificate of occupancy and that move-in could begin in August.

Commissioners debated whether to increase county support or return unused funds to the federal government; Commissioner 4 said he was "struggling a little bit" to continue funding a long-delayed project, while the committee chairman urged that the county either support the project or forfeit the federal funds. The court approved the amendments and the execution of revised agreements with Crossroads Housing Development Corporation and St. Anthony's Housing 20 LP. The motion to approve the funding increase and deadline change passed on a recorded vote of 5 to 1.

County staff said the additional $300,000 would be taken from county SLFRF/ARPA allocations and that the county attorney's office had vetted the revised documents before signature. Developers said they will begin marketing units and partnering with property managers once occupancy steps are complete; managers expect to start marketing in mid-May to begin income qualification ahead of August move-in.