JAMESTOWN — The Anne Carlsen Center’s new facility reflects the “strength, tenacity and resilience” of Dr. Anne Carlsen and the community of Jamestown, according to CEO Tim Eissinger.
In 1915, Anne Carlsen was born into a world that primarily saw a disability as an insurmountable problem and barrier, Eissinger said.
“Dr. Anne’s parents said, ‘We choose to see the world differently. Our job is to support and realize our daughter’s potential and follow that course wherever it might lead us,’” he said. “That strength and optimism became an apparent part of Dr. Anne herself and her legacy can be seen in this building under construction … .”
Officials marked a milestone moment of the last structural beam being placed on the Anne Carlsen Center’s new building on Monday, June 12, in southwest Jamestown. Officials from the state, city and Anne Carlsen Center signed the last beam with some including inspirational messages. Construction workers then placed the beam on the Anne Carlsen Center’s new facility.
The new facility will be about 110,000 square feet and is located directly east of Jamestown Regional Medical Center and on the south side of Interstate 94. When complete, the facility will support 34 individuals, including 24 with medically complex needs and 10 with more behavioral challenges.
Eissinger said after the ceremony that construction of the facility is on time and on budget. The cost of the building is $57 million and is expected to be operational in spring 2024.
Mortenson Construction is the construction manager for the project and JLG Architects is the architecture firm.
Since construction workers mobilized to the site 11 months ago, there have been over 67,000 labor hours worked on site, 91,000 cubic yards of dirt moved, more than 3,500 cubic yards of concrete poured, and over 1,264 tons of precast and 415 tons of steel used, said Rachel Iverson, assistant project manager for Mortenson Construction. Iverson said more than 300 workers have worked on the site.
The Anne Carlsen Center Board of Trustees assessed the current facility in northwest Jamestown by looking at the residential area, classrooms, educational needs, changing behaviors of children that staff works with, children’s medical complexity, required equipment and number of children in each room, said Eric Monson, former CEO and member of the Anne Carlsen Center Board of Trustees. After a site evaluation was completed, the board decided to build on a new site versus an extensive renovation of the current facility.
Harvey Huber, former member and chair of the Anne Carlsen Center’s board and co-chair of the Pathways Campaign Committee, the fundraising committee, thanked the donors, including Clarice Liechty and her late husband, Reuben, and Vicky Berg and John Ballantyne. The Liechtys donated a $1 million gift from the Gwendolyn Ruth Liechty Memorial fund and Berg and Ballantyne contributed $2 million toward the project.
“Our life on Earth is only temporary, just passing through,” Liechty said. “In this short period of time, we have the wonderful and satisfying opportunity to use whatever we have to do eternal lasting things. We thank God that we had the abundance and the opportunity to share with others what God has entrusted with us.”