Note: This story was last updated at 5:38 p.m. March 6.
Eight of the 10 Applewood Apartments buildings could be demolished, and a new apartment complex could replace them under a plan proposed by an Alabama company.
The project, proposed by Huff Management Company of Opelika, Ala., is a “strong candidate” for a potential tax credit, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark S. Watson said. He said Huff Management has a contract with the present owner, Knoxville attorney Joe Levitt.
The Applewood Apartment buildings have been the subject of long-running disputes with the city, including code violation, demolition, and court hearings in the last several years.
“The Applewood complex has been a target for change as early as 1959, and presently four of the 10 units are considered unfit for habitation,” Watson said in a Wednesday letter to Felita Givens at the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. “The project proposed provides an opportunity to rid the city of this blight that has cost the community hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years in the form of crime, emergency calls for service, fires, and domestic disturbances.”
The Oak Ridge Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals will consider the “unfit for habitation” designation against four of the buildings next week, and electrical and water hookups could be discontinued, Watson said in an e-mail to Oak Ridge City Council members. (Note: The Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals meeting has been rescheduled to 3 p.m. March 21, and an agenda will be available one week before the meeting.)
The new complex could be called Hunter Ridge, and Watson said it could bring several million dollars of new investment into the neighborhood.
He said the THDA was notified of the proposed project in February, and the agency is soliciting comments through the Oak Ridge Mayor’s Office in support of it. Watson is hoping to help generate many letters in support of the project; the letters could be sent to the THDA.
“A first round of consideration will occur in April, with a final decision rendered in July,” Watson said in a letter sent to the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, City Council, and municipal department heads. “As Oak Ridge has always done, we now need to rally around this project.”
While eight of the Applewood buildings would be demolished, Watson said two of them would be vacated, possibly to be demolished later.
He said demolition of four of the buildings could be pushed at the Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals meeting.
“But if the tax credit projects are approved, the private firm would do the work at his expense,” Watson said. “We estimate demolition at $50,000 per building, so this project could be considerable savings to us.”
He said Hunter Ridge could help solve a community problem by redeveloping a part of the city that has declined in recent years. There are four recently developed tax-income credit properties in the area, and the occupancy rate is either 100 percent or there are waiting lists for vacancies as they become available, Watson said.
Oak Ridge was built as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II. About 6,000 of its original, temporary homes—or about half of them—remain, and many of them have become rental houses owned by local and out-of-town landlords.
“Not only would the project represent a significant financial investment, but also provide attractive, new housing for low- and moderate-income residents and young professionals such as nurses and police officers,” Watson told the THDA.
Heather says
My knee-jerk reaction is “It’s about time!”
Mike M. says
I give 2 years for the new units to look like Applewood.
Sam Hopwood says
Yes, if there is anything OR needs it is more low income housing. That is the only area of OR that is growing. In addition, if Slumlord Joe has ANY connection to ANY project, look out. He will be laughing all the way to the bank. OR will fall for this hook, line and sinker. Somethings never change.
MyraJo says
This sounds like a positive change and a great opportunity to get rid of those nasty old apartments. I do not completely understand why “eight out of ten” is on the table. My thoughts are take all or nothing. Build back only four to eight i sections s fine but all must be demolished or no deal. Once they are gone the only direction has to be an improvement.
Jason Allison says
Forgive me when I say I’ll beleive it when I see it. Joe has been raking in profit while not maintaining the condition of the appartments. If he see’s that his profit margin will be hit he’ll back out with a quickness.
Johnnie Sweet says
When are u going to give a notice to the people who live in Applewood Apts..????? How do u expect them to find someone they can afford to live, when u take their homes. ???? Does anybody care about what they are going to do, & where they are going to live…???
John Huotari says
Johnnie,
I don’t think anything has been finalized yet. I don’t know what the proper notification procedure would be. I suppose it would depend upon the outcome of the city board meeting and the negotiations between Joe Levitt and Huff Management Co.
I received a notice this week that the Board of Building and Housing Code Appeals meeting has been rescheduled to March 21 at 3:00 p.m., and I have updated the story to reflect this change.
I understand your concern about finding another place, and I know there are some people concerned about where the current tenants might move. I will try to let you know of any other options that I hear of, if this project proceeds.
John
Johnnie Sweet says
To John Huotari…..thank you for your reply…..I have been laughed at, etc, about talking about this,, but that;s ok….I might live in Applewood Apts. but I am not Stupid…..and Yea, I will go to the meeting & hear myself what is going to happen about all of this….again,,, I thank u John for ur Reply…..and I will be in touch….
Johnnie Sweet says
Why doesn’t the City of Oak Ridge tear down McKin.. A..Apt….talking about drugs & crime rate, etc ..they could build them a real nice low income place there, & then maybe it would be safe to live there….etc. etc…
Johnnie Sweet says
It sounds like a lot of you are making comments, but none of you seem to be concerned about what the people that live in Applewood Apts. are going to do…they have no where to go that they can afford…does anybody care about the people ?? Sounds like all that you care about is tearing down the apts…..Well, stop & think about it, if you were on the other side…Just stop, & think while you make your nasty statements, stop & think for a second about the people who live here,,, Just how would you feel if you live here & no where to go, etc etc…
Jason Allison says
For one, the subject of the people who live in these buildings has been beaten to death. How many times can we discus that topic before everyone gets it. As Albert Einstein put it……The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.I do feel for the folks who live there as its a matter of money but you can’t have it both ways. Its either find temporary housing or continue to live in those conditions.
Johnnie Sweet says
To Jason…HA HA…You make it sound like just go out there & get help with housing …We don’t live in the same world for it’s just not that easy….and if you don’t like this subject then nobody one asks for your thoughts on it…I live here, I have friends that live here…I No I don’t like to hear people like you putting us down……I don’t know what conditions that you are talking about….Have you ever been in Applewood Apt.? I have a very nice apt……and I don’t want it to be torned down…….that’s right let me say it one more time…..” I don’t want Applewood Apt. Torn Down….
Jason Allison says
So, if you would please, enlighten me as to which orifice this silver spoon I have is inserted to. Oak Ridge has been fighting with this property owner for far too long and time has come to rid us of the eyesores we so thankfully get to see every day. In a perfect world he should be responsible for temp housing but as it’s been so hard just to get him off his rear to do something, that wont ever happen.
I’m glad you like the conditions in which you currently live. If my house were in such a state of disrepair I’d be forced to act.So, what we’re left with is the situation we’re at now.
I guess some may have to be forced to act once the building around them falls down. When that happens there will be a large influx of people wanting, and needing, a place to live. I guess then maybe reality would hit them.
Michael Johnson says
Good to see you John H. I just found ‘Oak Ridge Today’. I have lived in Applewood for about 8 years now. Could have moved a long time ago, but for many reasons, i have not. Still here. i moved here from out of state. I stayed in a persons pop-up trailor, in their backyard, in Knoxville when i first arrived to TN, for about 2 months. i was homeless for about 2 years before that.
Johnny S., you know, you ask ‘what about the people?’. unfortunatly, i have found in my years and travel, simply, ‘most’. do not care. Some do however.
Also, unfortunatly, i can agree with just about everything everyone has said, from all sides of the issue. It tends to make me the most angry sometimes, when really good people, who do not want crime and drugs around them, have to put up with it because they cannot afford a private castle. my rent was 275 a month when i moved here, it is 325 now. wow. not ‘subsidized’, or ‘section 8’ etc. I climbed a tree out front, to protest the city using ‘search warrants’, to search our apartments for ‘code violations’. read the constitution, your name is supposed to be on it. period. it was not. i did not feel the city of Oak Ridge’s fight with Mr. Levitts should involve the individual people living here. my comment from ‘the tree’. was ‘i am poor, and i’m not going away’.. ahh the poor never will. Treat others, as you would wish yourself treated. Tear it down, build new ones.,, okay. why not try to help some of the people here be somewhere else?. Believe me, everyone here in Applewood, will be somewhere else, and not far. still here. You will still see us all in Walmart, just like we will see you. It is easy to be mean, try something with a litte more character, and honor… Be nice.
John Huotari says
I remember you, Michael. I wrote a story and took a picture at your protest in the tree. I’m not sure I still have a copy of that, but I’ll look.
Johnnie Sweet says
Thanks Mike….