photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Delmar Place Apartments will be built on vacant property north of the Clinton Place Apartments, which are pictured here at 2125 Clinton Parkway.

A new housing project by the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority for low-income seniors, Delmar Place Apartments, will have a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday and is expected to welcome its first residents in January 2026.

The building will be owned and operated by LDCHA and will be constructed on vacant property north of Clinton Place Apartments, 2125 Clinton Parkway. It will feature 32 one-bedroom apartments tailored for low-income seniors, and its tenants will pay rent on a sliding scale based on 30% of their income.

“Douglas County is committed to providing affordable and supportive housing opportunities as part of the community’s strategic plan, ‘A Place for Everyone,'” said Douglas County Commissioner Karen Willey in a press release. “Delmar Place plays a crucial role in achieving this goal by providing essential housing for low-income seniors who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness in our community.”

The total cost of the project will be $4.7 million, and much of that will be covered by $3 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

To enable residents to age in place for as long as possible, the project includes three times the minimum required number of fully accessible units in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically for seniors who use wheelchairs. The building will allow for the installation of devices to assist tenants with visual or hearing impairments, and the project will offer support services such as transportation, food delivery, recreational activities and access to on-site technology.

“The LDCHA’s mission is to maintain the public trust by preserving and expanding affordable housing and providing opportunities for participants to thrive through services, innovation and collaboration,” Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority CEO Shannon Oury said in the press release. “We have set a goal for our agency to double the number (of) households served by 2028, and Delmar Place is the first project underway to accomplishing that goal.”

photo by: Douglas County

The new apartment building will be named after Delmar Jackson, pictured on Friday, September 27, 2024.

The project is named for Delmar Jackson, a maintenance employee of LDCHA who has cared for Clinton Place since its acquisition in 2006, according to the press release.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the project site north of Clinton Place Apartments on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. It will include remarks from Oury, Willey and LDCHA Board Chair Wallace Meyer Jr.

photo by: Contributed

Delmar Place, the apartments dedicated to low-income seniors, will be located on vacant land to the north of Clinton Place Apartments at 2125 Clinton Parkway.