By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
For Burlington to first get subsidized senior housing, it took a close-to 10-year effort on the behalf of the city and other organizers in the late 1960s and 1970s.
The end result was Riverview Manor, a 68-unit apartment complex through the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development office. Since then, another 24 units were added in 1984 – but no major changes had been made to the décor, the appliances, the flooring – or really much of anything.
Not anymore.
At the end of June, Riverview Manor celebrated the end of a renovation project that began in January. Through a grant by the USDA, $1.46 million was spent to bring the facility up to date.
“It’s like a brand-new building,” explained Eileen Olson, the manager of the facility.
The changes include a complete renovation of the kitchens and bathrooms in each unit, as well as making six units handicapped accessible and updating another six with accessibility features.
Olson added that 50 new ranges and 60 new refrigerators went in as well, plus new carpeting in units that needed it. Anything older than 15 years was replaced.
“We kept very good records,” Olson said.
In addition, common areas in the building were updated, including the community room kitchen, the lounge area and hallways.
Actual construction on the project began in January of this year, with residents shifted into apartments as they opened up. Those residents then lived in the other apartment until their living quarters were finished.
Riverview Manor, 580 Madison Street, is an affordable senior housing project for low-income renters through the USDA as well as the Burlington Improvement and Development Committee. It officially opened in 1977.
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