The November 3 ribbon-cutting that ceremonially marked the completion of renovation at Skyview Apartments was the fruition of a little-noticed effort that began in 2012 when local officials met Governor Phil Bryant seeking to bring Batesville into the Governor’s Health Care Zone initiative.

Why renovate housing when you are emphasizing health care?

The reasoning comes from a holistic approach to community health care that considers the needs of the professional workers who provide the care. To help make a community attractive to quality professionals at all levels of health care, affordable, quality housing must be available.

Wishcamper properties purchased the rundown properties that were Skyview Apartments and then spent $5.5 million, virtually rebuilding the units, using tax credits under the Governor’s Health Zone Initiative.

“The redevelopment breathes new life into an aging development and offers better living conditions for the residents,” said Rick Wishcamper, President of the Wishrock Development Group. “We’re in the business of taking community liabilities and turning them into community assets,” Wishcamper continued. “We do that through the tax credit program and a range of partnerships. Through this rehabilitation, we will require fewer resources from the city and county while paying more in property taxes than this development has paid in a long time.  It’s a win for the residents, the city of Batesville, and for the developers and our partners.”

Now completed and sparkling, inside and out, Skyview stands as the first Health Care Zone master plan community. 

And the inventory of available, quality housing in the Batesville Health Care Zone has been expanded by 102 units.