Westgate Gardens renovations on hold as five-year capital plan begins

Apr. 12—Almost three years after settling a discrimination claim with a promise to upgrade Westgate Gardens Apartments, the Decatur Housing Authority has yet to begin much of the work due to a lack of contractors bidding on the project.

As the authority tries again to solicit bids, it is also embarking on a five-year capital improvements plan that will start this summer.

Chief Financial Officer Donna Gibson presented the capital improvement plans at the monthly meeting of the Decatur Housing Authority board last week.

DHA has set money aside for the Westgate Gardens renovation. The plan for this public housing complex for low-income senior adults includes painting, redoing the kitchens and bedrooms with new flooring, and installing new appliances.

However, Housing Authority Executive Director Taura Denmon said they're struggling to find a contractor for the Westgate project because they haven't been able to get more than one bidder after seeking bids multiple times.

In 2021, when the project was first put out for bids, DHA received only one bid of $3.2 million for the 46 apartments in the complex at Adams Drive Northwest. The authority reopened the bidding process several times because HUD requires multiple bids on any capital project.

Denmon said the architect is redoing the design so they can put the project out for bid again. Money from previous capital grants will fund the project.

"The project is in the architect's hand and they're at 65% or 70% with the current scope of drawings," Denmon said.

HUD continues to insist that the Housing Authority get multiple bidders, she said.

"They felt like there were other things we could do that may draw more (bidders)," Denmon said. "We'll see. We'll put it back out there again, but we're not at that stage yet."

Denmon said one thing the architect is doing "is getting more of a current independent cost of (materials) but the cost has changed since we first put it out (for bid) in 2021."

The apartment renovations at Westgate are among the steps the Housing Authority agreed to take in 2020 after it was accused of racial discrimination involving tenant assignments to its three apartment buildings for low-income senior adults: Summer Manor Apartments, Jordan-Neill Apartments and Westgate Gardens. HUD alleged the Housing Authority was blocking Black residents from the riverfront apartments and steering them to Westgate.

In a voluntary compliance agreement with HUD, the Housing Authority agreed to end any discriminatory practices, make payments to victims of the alleged discrimination, renovate the Westgate Gardens community center and upgrade Westgate Gardens apartments. The community center renovations were completed in August and the $117,000 in payments to alleged victims were completed in June 2021.

Denmon, who will complete her second year with the Decatur Housing Authority in June, said most of the needed work at Westgate and other housing developments is relatively minor.

"The bones and the structures of the properties are really nice," Denmon said. "But all of them could use some TLC, like improving the shutters, painting and landscaping that would enhance the properties a little bit more."

Gibson said the Housing Authority annually receives about $1.7 million for its fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. She said they can apply for project-based vouchers, low-income tax credit funding and HUD capital fund grants, which could be used to develop new units.

Housing Authority board chairman Miles Wright pointed out they also have enough reserves to take care of any project they might decide needs to be done quickly.

"If we need money, we've got reserves," Wright said.

While the capital plan covers five years, Gibson said any item can be moved up on the timeline or added each year. DHA updates the plan required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development annually.

"If it's not in the (capital) plan, we can't do it without revising it and having another public hearing so we try to think of anything and everything," Gibson said.

Wright said East Acres, which is located off Locust Street Southeast, remains the board's biggest concern.

"It's an older unit," Wright said. "And we just have people constantly moving in and out."

Denmon said East Acres is one of the authority's more challenging sites. She said family sites like East Acres provide more challenges than senior facilities, which tend to be more settled with residents staying for longer lengths of time.

Wright said finding qualified employees has impacted the Housing Authority's ability to keep its housing units occupied at a rate of 95% or higher.

"We've been looking for maintenance people for two years now so we've had to use independent contractors to do the painting and cleanup of the units where we used to use our own people for these jobs," Wright said.

Larger projects in the five-year plan:

—East Acres: New exterior doors and screen doors will be added at 254 units at an estimated cost of $50,000.

Interior renovations, including kitchens, ceilings, painting, bathrooms and subfloors for 44 units on the two-story buildings, are planned at a cost of $159,000.

Gibson said they plan to repair the subfloors "as they become vacant."

Another 124 units in this Southeast Decatur housing project will receive the same renovations plus new air conditioning systems for $446,824. They also are planning exterior painting and replacement of shutters, facia and gutters for $100,000.

Other site improvements planned at East Acres include cutting down trees, adding sod, repairing sidewalks and possibly providing off-street parking spaces. The Housing Authority may have to do radon testing and remediation.

—Sterrs Homes: A new office building, at an estimated cost of $300,000, is needed because the existing office is not handicapped accessible, according to Gibson. She said there will also need to be other accessibility projects at Sterrs to meet federal regulations.

Sterrs will also get a new mailbox station at a cost of $40,000. Exterior repairs are planned for $50,000 along with $143,000 for interior renovations to 156 units.

—Westgate Gardens: Off-street parking and ramps on walkways will be added for $50,000. They also plan to add security cameras, replace a roof, replace electrical outlets and panels, and do interior renovations.

—Jordan-Neill and Summer Manor senior towers: The Authority plans to replace the automatic entrance doors and put new door locks on all of the apartments for $45,000, add security cameras, and spend $100,000 to replace air conditioning units in the common areas and elevator rooms.

—Jordan-Neill: The Authority plans to install new windows and expend $460,000 for repairs to the exterior of the building and replacement of the 12th-floor hallways.

—Summer Manor: Plans for this facility include roof replacement, painting and sealing the building exterior ($50,000), adding LED lighting in the common areas and renovation of 85 kitchens and bathrooms at a cost of $100,000.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.