June 10, 2002

By BILL LAIR Managing Editor

CHARLESTON ~ Cougill Manor has new owners, but the senior housing complex will retain the name it has had for the past 23 years. On May 22, a group called - Charleston Preservation Limited Partnership bought Cougill Manor from Max and Mary Cougill, who built the 100-unit apartment complex in 1979. Don and Louise Yost are general partners in the new ownership group and will manage the independent living complex that is primarily for senior citizens and the disabled.

"We want to build on the foundation that Max and Mary laid for 23 years," Yost said last week. "This is sort of the crown jewel of Charleston in senior housing."

Cougill said he feels good about selling the facility to local owners.

"I wouldn't sell to just anybody ," he said. "Don and Louise will take care of the residents. They understand people and their problems."

Yost said the new ownership plans more than $1 million worth of renovations on the facility. Work began last week and should be completed by the fall. Plans call for:

Most of the apartments' tenants are over the age of 62, but there are five apartments reserved for handicapped/disabled residents.

"We'll be increasing the available number of handicapped rooms from five to 10," Yost said. He said an additional10 rooms will be renovated so they can be adapted for handicapped use. Another five rooms will be available to the general public.

Yost and Cougill both said the complex is almost always at capacity. Yost said he expects a couple of vacancies this summer but will not fill them so other residents can move in while their apartments are renovated.

The Yosts came to Charleston 12 years ago to own and operate Stix Restaurant and Banquet Facility. Their partnership also owns and operates Country View Estates apartments on East Madison.

Mrs. Yost was an administrator at a nursing home in Carbondale before they moved to Charleston.

Max is one of my role models in Charleston," Yost said. "I knew he wanted to sell and Louise and I wanted to do something to get us back involved in the community. We are going to dedicate the rest of our lives to senior care and housing."

The Yosts are adding a garden for residents on land just south of the building that was donated by The Bank of Charleston. In addition, they plan to put in a beauty shop, add a library, expand the game and exercise rooms and establish an exercise program for residents.

The Yosts are retaining the services of longtime Cougill Manor secretary Zo Barlett and maintenance supervisor Jeff Hine.

Cougill said the complex was conceived in the mid-1970’8 when the government was encouraging private developers to take over the senior housing business from the government.

"A developer from Chicago and someone from (the U.S. Department of ) Housing and Urban Development came down", Cougill said. "They picked out the location because of its closeness to the (Wilb Walker/County Market) shopping center. For some reason the developer gave up the project. HUD came and said, "Why don’t you build it?"

The Cougills managed it for 23 years. The Yosts said it makes sense to retain the Cougill name on the complex.

"We want to keep the name because we admire Max so much," Mrs., Yost said.