A renovated housing project will prompt the apartment shuffle for residents of Summit Garden flats in Jonestown.
Hughes Construction, of Louisville received a building permit to remodel Summit Garden Apartments II during the Jonestown City Council meeting in December.
J. Frank Farley represented Hughes Construction said work is projected to start Jan. 3, shortly after completing the purchase of the complex. He said work will take about 10 months, but he is allowing 12 months from the starting date.
There are eight residential buildings and one office. One of those buildings will have to be torn down, but the other seven will be remodeled.
“At this point, we don’t have an answer for where (renters) will be, but that building is not structurally sound,” Farley said. “That’s the reason it’s having to come down.”
Farley said two-to-three individuals or families move out of an apartment each month. He said residents in the building torn down may be able to move into those vacant apartments.
As work begins, all residents will have to move temporarily.
“It is our responsibility to alert everyone well enough in advance so they can move to either an empty apartment or another place to live,” Farley said.
Farley said residents will either receive the money to move or a temporary place will be found for them.
The renovated apartments will consist of a secure area for maintenance folks, washers and dryers, seminars once a quarter with tips on how to find a job or to be more independent financially, gazebos, landscaping, improved playground area, a new dumpster and Energy Star refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers.
“We’d be hooking up with new plumbing all the way throughout the entire building,” Farley said.
Residents are currently allowed to smoke in the apartments, but that will change.
“We will have no smoking in any of our buildings, but there will be designated places where people can go outside,” Farley said.
When the work begins, Farley said there will be a site superintendent and the plan is to hire as many local contractors as possible.
“I am also available to you throughout the development process until everything is done and we’re all gone,” Farley said. “I’ll take care of answering any questions that you all have. I’ll come back every month if you want me to.”
Third-party engineers will do electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspection.
“Some of the things that will help this, too, is that as part of the process of remodeling is to go in and fix the site,” Farley said. “There’s a lot of sewer manholes.”
Farley said the goal is to keep the area from flooding when it rains.
“I promise you when we get through with these things you’ll be happy with the appearance,” Farley said.
