Oakview Apartments's guest appearances

Oakview Apartments

Spartanburg City News Podcast

Erica Brown

Jeff Speck

Chris Jennings

Tessa Fontaine

Daniel Morgan

Allen Smith

Will Rothschild

Andrew Babb

Phil Feisal

Ed Memmott

Linda Dogan

John Bauknight

Chris Story

Marion Blackwell

Growler Haus

OwlTail

It has been a problematic area within the city's north side for years, and after City Council voted unanimously to approve $1.9 million to purchase Oakview Apartments for the future construction of a new Dr. T.K. Gregg Community Center. The purchase marks the end of a long struggle to acquire the property from its owner, Related Companies, a New York-based real estate firm owned by multibillionaire and Miami Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross.  The city condemned Oakview after attempts to purchase the property failed, and took possession in December, utilizing eminent domain. The purchase comes ahead of a civil trial that had been scheduled to begin July 18 to determine the property's value. Related had previously indicated it would not accept any offer below $2.4 million, the amount owed on its outstanding mortgage. The county assessor lists the property's value at $1.3 million. The City has already begun working with Spartanburg Housing Authority to relocate residents from the substandard units and will continue to do so until the apartments are empty. Once completed the apartments will be demolished to make way for the new community center. Today on the podcast, we're talking with City Community Services Director, Mitch Kennedy about the end of Oakview, what it means in the larger context of the Northside Initiative, and what next steps we can expect.

Oakview Apartments purchase marks major milestone for Northside Initiative

As you may have , Oakview Apartments has one of the highest concentrations of poverty and crime in our city. Inside the cinderblock walls of the property's 105 units, 75 percent of residents earn less than $5,000 per year and live in conditions one resident described as "one step up from being homeless." Tearing down this barracks-style low income apartment complex on Howard Street and replacing it with a new community center has long been a central piece of the Northside Initiative, but before that can happen, the property and the privately-owned, publicly-subsidized housing complex that sits on it has to be purchased.Oakview's owner, Related Properties, is principally owned by Stephen Ross, the multi-billionaire owner of the Miami Dolphins. Despite City estimates that value the property at roughly $600,000, Related's price is $2.5 million, far more than the Northside Development Corporation, the City, or any of our other partners on the Northside are willing or able to pay. The result being that, for now at least, much of what has been planned for the Northside hangs in the balance. Why is there such a large discrepancy between the price Related is asking and what the City's estimate for the property's value? Why is the Oakview Apartments property so important to the future of the Northside Initiative? Today on the podcast, we're talking with Northside Development Corporation Project Manager Curt McPhail and Assistant City Manager Chris Story to get a deeper understanding of the issues at play.

As you may have , Oakview Apartments has one of the highest concentrations of poverty and crime in our city. Inside the cinderblock walls of the property's 105 units, 75 percent of residents earn less than $5,000 per year and live in conditions one resident described as "one step up from being homeless." Tearing down this barracks-style low income apartment complex on Howard Street and replacing it with a new community center has long been a central piece of the Northside Initiative, but before that can happen, the property and the privately-owned, publicly-subsidized housing complex that sits on it has to be purchased.<br>Oakview's owner, Related Properties, is principally owned by Stephen Ross, the multi-billionaire owner of the Miami Dolphins. Despite City estimates that value the property at roughly $600,000, Related's price is $2.5 million, far more than the Northside Development Corporation, the City, or any of our other partners on the Northside are willing or able to pay. The result being that, for now at least, much of what has been planned for the Northside hangs in the balance.<br> <br>Why is there such a large discrepancy between the price Related is asking and what the City's estimate for the property's value? Why is the Oakview Apartments property so important to the future of the Northside Initiative? Today on the podcast, we're talking with Northside Development Corporation Project Manager Curt McPhail and Assistant City Manager Chris Story to get a deeper understanding of the issues at play.

An in-depth conversation on Oakview Apartments and the Northside