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• <br /> Reprinted from June 1993 <br /> Minnesota Multi-Housing <br /> Monthly Mini-Mag <br /> • <br /> THE People acquainted with Villa Court called it the apartment complex from hell. Rats <br /> and roaches outnumbered tenants. Graffiti and urine streaks served as wallpaper. <br /> TRANSFORMATION <br /> Gang members had power lunches in the hallways. Police logs in 1992 document <br /> OFVILLA COURT TO more than 200 calls for social activities ranging from gunshots and stabbings to drug <br /> UPTOWN SQUARE dealing and kidnappings. The list of city code violations swelled to the size of a city <br /> phone book. This isn't public housing in New York City. This is Uptown,south <br /> Minneapolis. <br /> But that was late November,when Villa Court was in receivership,awaiting <br /> demolition or a risk-taking buyer. Today this three-building complex at Colfax Ave. <br /> S.andk9th St.is Uptown Square and verges on luxurious. For James Soderberg, <br /> property manager,this transformation surpasses a simple business deal involving a <br /> olice logs in 1992 coat of paint and the eviction of a few rats and tenants. It's a personal challenge and <br /> document more than an opportunity to help preserve The Wedge neighborhood in Uptown. "It took a lot <br /> of hard,fast work to renovate and lease the buildings in just 90 days. This is much <br /> 200 calls for social more than a minor facelift,"says Soderberg,who started renovating in December. <br /> activities ranging from Soderberg owns Soderberg Apartment Specialists(SAS),a property management <br /> gunshots and stabbings company based in St.Louis Park. He seems to have a sixth sense for detecting what's <br /> to drug dealing and salvageable and then turning chaos into harmony--both in his buildings and <br /> kidnappings. deteriorating neighborhoods. "You could call us specialists in working with troubled <br /> projects and renovating them. I'm really concerned about the neighborhoods and like <br /> to help out the community,"says Soderberg,who manages three other buildings in <br /> the Twin Cities. "I also enjoy the challenge of these types of projects. I would hate <br /> to buy a building that was in perfect shape." <br /> 5 <br />