7.0. EDSR 07-11-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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HopkdnsIE.Minn nonkaISI.Loula Park Sun•Sallor—Wed.,Jan.19.1994-134 Renovation turns Park Winds around Living conditions improve v-: in SLP apartment building t t Ak k , °.� ��f 922—,:ns ,.- By Maureen McAvoy So when James Soderberg, ;,,,,,,,,,,,,,:,,,,,,,;::,4 -F it s, president of Soderbergi a a x . ir Dolores Lawrence knows Apartment Specialists(SAS), � *� what it means to live a approached the city last ,, � � , nightmare.For nearly a summer about purchasing and � �-r decade,her living conditions at renovating the property,it was •' the former Park Winds a hard sell.Me er said the city �, Apartments were abysmal. doubted that anyone could ty ,,,,„:1,.., ��T/�jJI�y r ; �� ht{n In a matter-of-fact tone, actually do what SAS was ARERBERG . ; •'' _ 1' ; ' 111 nein Lawrence tells a tale of endless proposing. , t'{yti E P=- .- floods,water damage,thefts "We were very much z SP E C�q(4 t. .- . and pestilence.If not confirmed concerned that two buildingst • by the city of St.Louis Park, were not reclaimable,"Meyer a,� .-4,4 e y _• ' her story would seem said."Our initial accecsment #s" _ i F '°X -_-.17,---y-' contrived. 4 ' ,, But Lawrence's bad dream ,t . A ended last July.For her and • + r hundreds of other renters living in dangerous and unsafe ' • apartments throughout the "It's like taking a ' ,. Twin Cities,new and creative diamond in the rough ` renovation efforts are turning ( , • troubled buildings'into safe and polishing it'til it housing. sparkles." When Lawrence moved into the Park Winds apartments —Jim Soderberg, ? some 20 years ago,the units owner Park Trails '"`. .o_ , -: sparkled and the St.Louis Park - f` s1 y•a neighborhood was quiet and •y ; sa safe. It was nice when I first p'- moved in,"says Lawrence. _ "Then things got run down and was that they would be Jim Sod erd of soderberg Apartment Specialists,punrhased and renovated the former Park dangerous.It was frightening." demolished." erberg,presid During the heavy rains in the But Soderberg came Apartments in St.Louis Park.(Photo by Linda Cullen) 1980s,her ceiling caved in and prepared to battle: water swelled above her knees. "This was truly a complex in trying something different," "Because we are able to rent good investment and the trend She claims to have lost real disrepak"said Robert Gill said. out as fast as we do,it puts a in the'90s.Beyond that,he thousands of dollars in Gill,St Louis Park fire chief. So Soderberg played beat the fire under the workers'feet. thrives on the peculiar - furniture and clothing due to "Winer Jim Soderberg came in clock.In just 14 weeks the bulk You can feel this mass energy challenges that troubled water damage. and met with me and the city of the renovation was around the office.The projects offer. When Lawrence complained "It's like taking.a diamond int to a former manager,she was had a plan grilled him.But completed,called and the complex, construction and s maintenanceadily he had a for that and we now Park Trails, crews see changes on a daily the rough and polshing it`til it •told,"I'm not being facetious, looked at what he had done at boasted a waiting list of .. basis and it'keeps them excited sparkles.Besides,today the but there are other places to Uptown square." prospective tenants. and motivated." - cost of new construction has live.Why do you stay here?" Soderberg's ammunition was Soderberg admits that Park 'skyrocketed,and the quality Lawrence stayed for personal scant:a successful renovation Trails was a complicated doesn't compare to that of - reasons.After the flood,sheand lease at Uptown Square in renovation.The structural older buildings.Renovation is a sloshed through water to south Minneapolis last year, integrity of the buildings was good deal for everyone— gather and move her combined with an unswerving questionable and about 12 property owners,cities,my belongings.She battled heat, conviction that he could apartment ceilings had caved. "He's proven that older workers,banks,tenants and humidity and bugs as thick as accomplish this task. Nearly$30,000 in vandalism buildings are not the community." fog due to broken windows and "We had recently completed occurred just prior to the SAS But in the city of St.Louis torn - the Uptown project," purchase,mainly due to a functionally or Park,the buck stops with Fire "I used to tell people,'Now I Soderberg said."All of the broken toilet that left waterfinancial) obsolete." Chief Gill. know how the soldiers felt in workers knew their jobs and seeping through a building for y "Jim probably thinks I'm the Burma during the war.'" were excited because the last a week.In edition,two broken —Charlie Meyer fire chief from hell—I was renovation went so well.Our' underground water mains St.Louis Park city manager over there every day own customized computer created a fountain effect. throughout the renovation.But software was already in place,. Windows had rotted out and if I found a problem he'd take and there was a lot of glass was broken.Squirrels, care of it within 24 hours.I was confidence that we could do cockroaches and other pests very impressed with what Jim "Jim probably thinks this." nested in the buildings. did there.He kept all of his To city officials,Soderberg's One of Soderberg's first tasks Per unit renovation costs at commitments to the city.I look 1 m the fire chief from p was pie-in-the-sky stuff was to replace roofs and Park Trails ran close to$6,000, at this as a success for the city hell—I was over there He claimed to complete the plywood decking on eight well below the typical$15,000 and tenants,and I hope Jim bulk of a$700,000 renovation in buildings.He then rebuilt average for similar wins on this one.He has shown every day throughout three months.On top of that, parking lots,plastered and renovations.Without skimping there are ways to deal with the the renovation." he'd rent out the building's 101 Sheetrocked units,installed on quality,Soderberg problems so everyone gains." —Bob Gill, vacancies. - security systems,painted, minimized costs by hiring a Soderberg says he's pleased St.Louis Park fire chief "It was one of the largest carpeted,added new • specialized construction and with the outcome,but keeps an problems in the city,"said Gill. appliances and completed a maintenance crew rather than eye open for the next diamond. "When Jim said he would 33-point check list on each unit. subcontracting all the work. "We've completed two large complete the project in 90 days, Meanwhile,Don Rock, "I also negotiated some very renovations in the past year. I was an extreme skeptic.At resident manager,and Jeff good deals with subcontractors, It's been really exciting,and I one time I was among those Habisch,asset manager,leased which saved us a considerable feel fairly certain that we have who thought(the best action) 101 apartments in 10 weeks. amount of money,"he said. broken two major records in Yet developing the coalitions was to raze the buildings." Initially,the vacancy rate was According to Meyer, terms of the fastest renovation and creative solutions to Gill was well-acquainted with about 60 percent and soared to Soderberg did more than and lease up of apartment remedy troubled buildings like the complexities of the project 80 percent after tenants left or renovate a troubled building. buildings in Twin Cities' Park Winds is sometimes more because all multi-housing code were evicted.Rock and "He did something important history.I'd do it again in a, tedious than bulldozing. - compliance issues and Habisch warned prospective for the city,"Meyer said."The heartbeat if another According to St Louis Park inspections are administered tenants on the telephone that way that Soderberg did it was opportunity came along." City ManagerCharlie Meyer, through the city's Fire they'd be walking into a war unique.This was a dramatic And at last,Dolores the city was skeptical about Department.At Park Winds, zone,but not to worry. change in a short period of Lawrence is happy."It's like efforts to salvage Park Winds, Gill had noted major structural "Tenants could see we were time.The complex was a blight night and day now,"says a nine-building,120wnit defects,fire and life safety offering a good product and to the community,and he has Lawrence,who no longer has complex at 361 Street and problems,animal infestation, fixing up the buildings right," turned it into an asset.He's to sleep with a knife under her Monterey Drive. extensive water damage,caved Soderberg said."We are in this proven that older buildings are pillow. "The project was a thorn-in ceilings,criminal and drug- for the long haul,not to turn not functionally or financially "Jim was a godsend.I went our side,"Meyer said.The related activities and minor around and sell it." obsolete.It is also a really good through hell.People always buildings had badly arson. Soderberg said the Uptown example of what can be done laughed at me for staying here, deteriorated and the city Despite some reservations, Square project(a$500,000 through private investment if but now it's paying off.' became involved with the city officials took a leap of faith renovation to 81 units,with a people are willing to do the owner.Finally,TCF Bank and gave SAS the go-ahead. lease up of 55 units in two lob." Maureen McAvoy is a assumed ownership and "We looked at our choices and months)was a warm-up for Soderberg agrees that multi- freelance writer who lives fn N foreclosed on the property. decided to solve the problem by Park Trails. housing renovation is both a Plymouth.