Apartment rehab spruces up Fresno’s ‘Sin City’

Source: The Business Journal
By Chuck Harvey

Rehabilitation of the San Ramon Apartments signals a step forward in Fresno’s goal of transforming the El Dorado Park neighborhood into a vibrant and safe community, shedding the old “Sin City” moniker. Zumwalt Construction Inc. has finished upgrading the San Ramon Apartments within El Dorado Park near Bulldog Stadium. Apartment renters at San Ramon that had to move out during construction were scheduled to come back last week. The Fresno Housing Authority, which runs the complex, will hold off on a grand opening until the tenants have a chance to settle back in. Renters will see some major improvements, including new site work, landscaping, courtyard, roofing, railing, windows, French doors, flooring, paint and light fixtures. New carports and a laundry room have also been built, along with wrought iron security fencing and security lighting. And it was all done in a four-month period. Total development cost for the 32-unit project is $4.2 million, with $3 million from City of Fresno Neighborhood Stabilization Program and $1.2 million from Fresno Housing Authority. The improved apartments stand out from existing apartments on the street that may not see a rehab for some time. However, Zumwalt Construction and the city see it as a good first-step in sprucing up the area and addressing safety concerns. Brandi Johnson, communication manager for the Fresno Housing Authority, said the improved section of apartments is encouraging other apartment owners to throw on some fresh paint and do minor renovations of their own. It could also help property values in the area, she said. She said no further Housing Authority projects are currently planned for El Dorado Park, has rehabilitation of rental housing going on in various parts of the county. Zumwalt Construction specializes in rehabilitation. The builder wants to erase the negative image the El Dorado Park area had developed. “Zumwalt Construction Inc. specializes in multi-family rehabilitation projects and anticipates doing additional projects within this category of construction,” said Kurt Zumwalt, president of Zumwalt Construction. “Presently we are rehabilitating 123 units in Mendota for the Fresno Housing Authority.” The Mendota housing rehabilitation is taking place at Mendota Apartments at 778 Quince St., Rios Terrace at 424 Derrick Ave. and Rios Terrace II at 111 Straw St. Zumwalt said demand has picked up for low-cost apartment projects, including rehabilitation work. He said the need is strong to catch up on deferred maintenance and refurbishment for multi-family housing. Besides improving aesthetics, firms like Zumwalt Construction bring the housing up to building and safety codes. Asked what tenants are looking for in refurbished apartments, Zumwalt said the big things are a safe environment for their families and affordable rent. The challenge at San Ramon Apartments was to rehabilitate 32 public housing units to current market standards. The architect for project was R.L. Davidson Inc. of Fresno. The City of Fresno was anxious to see improvements. The entire El Dorado Park neighborhood covers 30 acres and is dominated by multi-family apartments. According to the El Dorado Neighborhood Plan, the development was first constructed as affordable housing for Fresno State students. However it has deteriorated over the past 15-20 years. In 2011, police found several weapons and drugs while serving a search warrant for an alleged gang operation at a San Ramon apartment in El Dorado Park. And the incident wasn’t isolated. The neighborhood is often referred to as Sin City — a name community members are anxious to see slip from Fresno’s memory. Lorrae Emory, office manager for Westley United Methodist Church near El Dorado Park, said a variety of community partners are striving to change things. “The residents continue to work hard learning new tools and techniques to make their neighborhood safer, stronger and healthier,” she said in an email. While Sin City could describe an area with a reputation for crime, Emory said the actually name comes from the partying indulged by the Fresno State students and faculty who lived there more than 20 years ago. Funding for the San Ramon Apartments project was provided through low-income housing tax credit equity currently being used in Fresno County. Goals set forth in the neighborhood plan include setting strategies for a safe, crime-free environment, encouraging some neighborhood commercial projects, improving or replacing substandard housing, preserving and expanding housing opportunities for existing families and new residents and creating a central open space area along with private gardens and courtyards. The plan also calls for closer ties with Fresno State. In 2013, the Fresno Housing Authority received $60 million in tax credit equity for rehabilitation projects. The authority has begun efforts to rehabilitate 400 public housing units in Fresno, Mendota and Orange Cove. Plans also include constructing community centers with computer labs, kitchens and offices. In 2013, the Department of Housing and Urban Development selected Fresno Housing Authority to be part of its Rental Assistance Demonstration program that allows the authority to use private sector funs as well as equity in current developments to pay for affordable housing building improvements. The authority estimates that the cost of needed improvements in the area has soared to more than $100 million.

URL to original article: http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/construction/11344-apartment-rehab-spruces-up-fresno-s-sin-city 

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