Fort Scottians need more apartments, and a Kansas contractor is turning a former nursing home, which has been vacant for several years, into new rentals after a complete renovation of the property.
The former Fort Scott Manor nursing home property, 736 Heylman, was purchased by Rural Asset Management (RAM) in January 2022, after being closed down by the state several years prior.
The new name for the Fort Scott property is Charlotte Place, RAM Owner Shane Lamb said, adding that his children pick the name of the business’s properties.
The first four units are slated for rental availability in late October, said Lamb, if all goes as planned.
Work started on the property, then halted to finish a similar Iola project in March 2025.
“It’s coming together, it’s been an intensive and costly project, and it should be nice when done,” he said. “Our goal is to be the nicest apartments in the community we are in, and to keep it affordable.”
There will be 24 units: one-bedroom, one-bath apartments are 550-626 square feet with a range of $650-695 per month, two-bedroom apartments are between 700-1000 square feet with a range of $800 to 875, and there will be a 500 square foot studio apartment for short-term rentals, Lamb said.
“The short-term rental, a couple of local businesses want to lease for their staff,” Lamb said.
The apartments will feature new appliances, including a stove, above-stove microwave, and fridge, and will be equipped with fiber optic internet availability.
Tenants will pay rent and their electric bill; the landlord pays for the water, trash, and sewer service.
There will be a brand new on-site laundry provided for the tenants.
Additionally, “there will be a pet-friendly fenced-in area in the back of the apartments,” he said.
These apartments will not be low-income rentals, but instead will be available to the standard market, said Lamb.
“The standard market means that they are not subsidized by the government,” Lamb said.
About Rural Asset Management
RAM focuses on rural towns and rural housing, purchasing nursing homes, schools, and hospitals that are converted to housing, according to a prior interview with Lamb.
“We currently have 13 projects under construction in rural communities,” he said. “We typically supply 300-600 apartments per year in rural communities.”