The Dane G. Hansen Foundation has approved the go-ahead for construction of the proposed Logan Intergenerational Facility, known as the LIFE project.
According to the organization, at their December meeting the Foundation Trustees approved a guaranteed maximum price (“GMP”) of $32 million presented by McCowen Gordon Construction Company based in Kansas City. Of that sum, $1 million for fixtures, furniture, and equipment is being raised through a local fundraising effort. The GMP was arrived at by reaching out to 550 different trade vendors, with 119 bidders submitting their best bids for various scopes of the project. The Foundation was pleased with the robust and competitive bidding process, which gave the Board confidence that this was the lowest possible price for which the new facility could be constructed.
Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for March, weather permitting. The estimated ribbon cutting is August 2024, in time for classes that fall.
The project is uniquely designed to integrate several community facilities into a single structure that encourages intergenerational connections. The design includes a new 36-bed nursing home that will replace the aging Logan Manor, a new Pre-K through 4th grade elementary school, a gymnasium and locker room complex, a weight room and wellness facility which will be available to the public, a community room, and a multi-purpose room, which will double as a community storm shelter. An indoor corridor will connect the new structure to the existing high school building for easy access by all students.
Residents from the nursing home will have the ability to attend ballgames and other events, as well as participate in various school functions and even classroom activities, including a special music room designed to allow the residents to watch and listen to band or music practices.
Logan’s childcare facility, sits adjacent to the new structure, creating a one-of-a-kind intergenerational campus.
The facility will better meet the needs of young and old alike. The new senior facility is based on the modern “small house” design to be more homelike, including private rooms, better internet access, and a centralized home-style kitchen in each 12-room pod.
The LIFE project is projected to be a huge boost for the town of Logan, where Dane G. Hansen was born and lived his entire life. At his death in 1965, Mr. Hansen created a trust which later became the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Distributions were designated for his hometown of Logan and surrounding Northwest Kansas communities.
The Foundation’s main office remains in Logan. The Trustees believe this project to be both a way to honor Mr. Hansen’s legacy as a forward-thinking, entrepreneur, and also recognize his testamentary desire to specifically benefit the town of Logan. The LIFE Project is believed to be the only known intergenerational campus in the nation to incorporate a senior living facility with an entire public school system and child care facility, thereby encompassing children ranging from infants to seniors in high school.
The LIFE project has been in the works for nearly six years. It was announced to the public in August of 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ensuing shutdowns and supply chain disruptions dramatically altered the timeline and cost for the project. The Hansen Trustees believe that the time for this LIFE Project is “now or never” and remain committed to seeing it come to fruition.
A townhall meeting to share further information about the project is scheduled for Monday, February 13 at 6:30 in the Logan High School auditorium. The public is invited to attend and present any questions they may have about the Project.
All fundraising for the LIFE Project is being coordinated by a fundraising committee working with the Logan Community Development Foundation, Inc. (“LCDF”). As of this writing, over $700,000 has been raised to meet the local goal of $1 million for furniture, fixtures and various items of equipment, such as the intergenerational playground. To donate to the campaign, please contact Max Lowry, President of LCDF, at (785) 689-8333 or email the Foundation at [email protected]. Donations can also be made through the LIFE Project website at www.loganlifeproject.com.
The Hansen Foundation selected Michael Erhart of DK Developments, LLC in Phillipsburg, Kansas, as their Owner’s Representative on the LIFE Project. In that capacity, Mr. Erhart will oversee the construction of the Project as the Foundation’s representative and will be the Foundation’s primary public relations representative to coordinate any questions or concerns the public may have throughout the construction phase and extending through the initial operational phase of the Project. Those seeking additional information may contact Mike at [email protected], or 785-302-1387.
