Groundbreaking Held for North Dearborn Village Apartments Expansion

This is the first of a series of Stellar Pathways-related projects in Dearborn County

Photo by Travis Thayer, Eagle Country 99.3.

(West Harrison, Ind.) - LifeTime Housing Group, Southeastern Indiana Community Preservation and Development Corporation (SICPDC), One Dearborn, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Maxwell Construction, and others gathered on Wednesday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony for the North Dearborn Village Apartments Expansion. 

North Dearborn Village Apartments, located at the corner of Unity Drive and North Dearborn Road in West Harrison, currently includes 80 units, an on-site Senior Nutrition Adult Center and on-site property management and maintenance staff.

The expansion will include seven one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments designed for adults age 55 and older seeking independent living in a rural community. Each single-level apartment will be ADA accessible and will include an in-unit washer and dryer.

LifeTime Housing Group’s investment in the project totals just under $3 million.

The expansion is made possible through a land donation from the Dunevant Family, funding from the Dearborn County Stellar Award, OCRA and an IHCDA HOME grant, as well as support from SICPDC, One Dearborn, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis Affordable Housing Program, Napoleon State Bank, the Dearborn County Community Foundation and Maxwell Construction.

In 2024, Dearborn County was named a Stellar Pathways Designated Community. The Stellar Pathways program is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiative led by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. The program works with communities in a self-determined region on a shared vision for community and economic development.

The North Dearborn Village Apartments is the first in a series of upcoming Stellar-related projects. Other projects include the Ridge Avenue Streetscape in Greendale, Streetscape and Sidewalk Improvements in Dillsboro, and Bright Meadows Park Improvements. 

The North Dearborn project is expected to be completed in late summer 2027. For more information on North Dearborn Village Apartments visit https://lifetime-resources.org 

Quotes from Wednesday's Groundbreaking Ceremony

Mike Perleberg, Executive Director of One Dearborn

"Stellar Pathways is kind of the hallmark community development program offered by the State of Indiana through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. It's been a very transformational program across a number of Indiana communities. Now we got to get to work to put it to work and I am glad to say that today we are breaking ground on our first Dearborn County Stellar project here this morning." 

Fred Glynn, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs

"Housing is a rising issue across the state and I applaud One Dearborn for addressing this issue. This expansion and investment will positively impact the quality of life for the whole region."  

Erin Thomas, LifeTime Housing Group

" Affordable housing is the foundation for independence, health and quality of life as our population ages. The need for accessible housing continues to grow. This expansion is specifically designed for adults aged 55 and older, allowing more residents to remain in the community they know and love while maintaining their independence. What makes this project especially meaningful is that it builds upon an already thriving community."

Mark Dunevant, The Dunevant Family

I want to thank the previous owner before my dad owned this property. He wanted to put a mobile home park here. So, thank you for thinking of that idea, dad said, no thank you. Thank you to everybody that really cares about senior housing. I think all the people that really care about our community and doing a quality project, not the cheap stuff, want to provide something that will look nice and build our community for the future."

Below is a concept (subject to change) for the project 

*Concept shown are subject to change during ongoing project development.