Eisenhower Ridge Building 19 Honored with Timmy Award
On November 15, The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association presented Topeka developer Pioneer Group the Judges Award for Honorable Mention at the J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation for the adaptive reuse of Eisenhower Ridge Building 19. The award, given in the category of best commercial/retail/non-residential project, was announced at the NH&RA’s annual ceremony in Boston.
The “Timmy Awards” honor outstanding real estate projects that involve the rehabilitation and preservation of older and historic buildings nation-wide. Building 19 was awarded in the category of Best Commercial/Retail/Non-Residential Project. The project rehabilitated a 125-year-old mess hall that historically served Civil War veterans as part of the Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Now, the building serves modern veterans as the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Plains Consolidated Patient Accounts Center.
Located on a park-like campus, Building 19 was one of 38 historic buildings placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2000. The historic buildings were saved when developer Pioneer Group, Inc. signed an enhanced-use lease with the VA to rehabilitate the structures. The rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of Building 19 is the most recent project to be completed on the campus, bringing 400 new jobs to Kansas and giving new life to the once vacant building.
Building 19 After Construction