MEMO

TO:              Mayor and Commissioners

                   David Corliss, City Manager

FROM:          Commissioner Hugh Carter

CC:               Cynthia Wagner, Assistant City Manager

                   Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

DATE:           February 5, 2013     

SUBJECT:      Consent Agenda Item – Continuing Care Retirement Community

One of the near-term recommendations of the Retiree Attraction and Retention Task Force was that the City and County should work with the University of Kansas, University of Kansas Alumni Association, University of Kansas Endowment Association, the private sector and other appropriate stakeholders with the goal of establishing an intergenerational life-long community with diverse housing options in Lawrence to attract KU Alumni and Friends, Haskell Alumni and Friends and Baker University Alumni and friends back to Lawrence within five years.

A group has been meeting to begin discussions to make development of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) a reality.  The attached outlines the vision and goals of the work of this group.  As outlined, the Campus VillAGE concept envisions the design and development of a self-governing, intergenerational Campus VillAGE that brings people of all ages into a community designed to foster learning, research and enduring social relationships for the purpose of living better, healthier and more meaningful lives.  The Campus VillAGE would include residential, health and well-being and educational components to bring younger and older people together in a living, working and learning environment. 

In order to further this work, a non-profit agency also needs to be created, including the development of a 501 (c) (3) agency and associated by laws.  I am recommending that the City Commission authorize the City Manager to work with staff and/or outside legal assistance in establishing a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and to create the bylaws of such an entity to develop a CCRC.

In order to implement such a goal, a phased approach is recommended. Once the 501c3 is formed and it’s board created, we will enter the planning phase which would include: creation of a development calendar, project visioning, financial projections and modeling and site review.  A firm with experience in development of CCRC’s will be identified to complete this work.  Funding partnerships are being secured and at this time it is recommended that the City and Douglas County partner to provide $12,500 each toward the total first phase cost of $75,000. Other funding partners for this first phase will include stakeholders such as Lawrence Memorial Hospital, the University of Kansas, and Douglas County Senior Services.