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The Village of St. Mary's is Underway

Posted on April 6, 2009

The groundbreaking ceremony in mid-February was the beginning of a new adventure for the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. The Sisters, who formed in Switzerland in 1845, moved to O’Fallon in 1875. St. Mary’s Institute was incorporated in 1878.  Sister Mary Whited, congregational leader, said the congregation knew at some point it would have extra space. The Sisters live on 42 acres in north O’Fallon.

“That goes back at least ten years,” she said. “We began to plan ahead and four and a-half years ago the whole community came together.”  The community looked at several possibilities, including selling the property.

“That didn’t feel right,” Whited said. “We settled on staying here and had to decide how to develop and use the property. Everyone feels good that we’re staying here during the renovations. The Sisters have had to move their bedrooms and other rooms, but it isn’t disrupting the daily rhythm of their lives and the life of the community.”

The Sisters and McEagle Properties are partners in this Joint Venture to develop the Village of St. Mary’s which includes senior living apartments and patio homes, skilled care, and the development of the north side of the property. The project team includes the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood; McEagle Properties, developer and partner; Paric Corporation, construction; the Lawrence Group, architects.  The Sisters and the project team continue to consult with officials from the City of O’Fallon.

Whited said the development will maintain the historic nature of the campus by renovating existing buildings into affordable apartments for seniors and a licensed skilled care nursing faculty. In the fall of 2007, the campus was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Renovated one and two-bedroom apartments will be located within the historic buildings. The Sisters will occupy a portion of these apartments upon completion of the project, and the remaining apartments will be available to the public.

Whited said word of the new development has spread far and wide.  “We’ve had calls from a variety of places,” Whited said. “I received a call from someone in California, and someone in Florida who used to be a member of the community and wants to come back and retire here.”

Phase 1 of the development will include the renovation of the existing structures into a Continuum of Care Retirement Community (CCRC), named Villa Theresa. Villa Theresa will include apartments for seniors, licensed skilled nursing and a complete wellness center with indoor pool. Whited said the apartments and renovations will be completed by December 2010.

“We’ve included a peace garden in our plans,” she said. “The chapel, cemetery and administrative offices will remain. The Village of St. Mary’s is about land and buildings, but it’s even more about the people who seek to live, work, play and pray together. Dedicated people have worked together (to make this happen). The Sisters who live here anticipate the time when they may settle in and enjoy the time they can spend with others.”

Chris McKee, president of McEagle Properties, said the Village of St. Mary’s has always been about the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. “As we go through the years we will remember that, and we’ll make sure that we take care of the order as they move through the years,” McKee said.  “This is our next LifeWorks community, and it is an unbelievably perfect application of LifeWorks. It will create jobs and take care of the Sisters.”