Oldenburg Sisters break ground on senior housing project

(OLDENBURG, Ind.) – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Spires Senior Village in Oldenburg on Wednesday. 

The Sisters of St. Francis has partnered with RDOOR Development Cooperation to remodel Theresa and Olivia Halls into senior housing. 

RDOOR Development Cooperation received $21 million of investment from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Historic Tax Credit, and HUD 202 programs.

It will feature 67 one-bedroom apartments for people at least 62-years-old who pass a background and credit check. 

The former chapel of Olivia Hall will also become an Adult Day Care Center operated by Catholic Charities.

The project will be conducted by Maxwell Construction as company president, Jeff Lyness, said demolition will begin Monday and last three months. 

Construction will start in September and is expected to be finished in the fall of 2027. 

The ceremony featured representatives from Maxwell Construction along with the Sisters, RDOOR, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority executive director Tom Pearson, and the Town of Oldenburg. 

Marueen Irvin, OSF, offered remarks and said the Sisters were overwhelmed with joy when the project became official last week.

“For many years, we Sisters have had a dream of turning two buildings close to our hearts into affordable housing for seniors. Finally, that dream is coming true," she said.

Oldenburg Town President Brian Clagg also spoke and shared how this project reflects the Sisters mission of caring for the elderly and less fortunate.

He also acknowledged the fears that some Oldenburg residents have about the project changing the dynamics of the historic German town. 

“That concern is not rooted in opposition to the Sisters mission, but in a deeper fear that those without a longstanding connection to Oldenburg may not share the same sense of responsibility or commitment to preserving what makes this place so special,” Clagg said. 

Watch Clagg’s remarks here: