Consultants present Midtown Park Apartments final study; recommend $13 million phased rehab and resident control measures

Consultants Fernando Marti and Steve Suzuki presented the final Midtown Park Apartments study to the Local Agency Formation Commission on March 21, 2025, reporting results from a yearlong resident visioning process and a physical needs assessment for the six-building, 40-unit city-owned complex in the Western Addition.

The consultants said Midtown Park has a long history of resident self-management and that tenants framed the study around racial equity and reparations. The consultants documented deferred maintenance, life-safety and accessibility issues and produced cost estimates and phased recommendations driven by residents' preference to age in place.

"Part of the history of Midtown Park is that it was for 40 years run by the Midtown Park Corporation, a nonprofit corporation, with an elected board of the residents," Fernando Marti said, describing the site's history and the residents' organizing.

Key technical findings and recommendations

- Physical profile: Midtown Park consists of six concrete buildings with wood infill and is unique as a city-owned residential block. Consultants said a prior structural review showed noncompliance with 2018 code updates in corner bracing; structural reinforcement will require work affecting corner units.

- Cost estimates: The consulting team provided a project-level cost example for Building 1 (the largest), estimating approximately $13,000,000 for a scope that addresses structural repairs, accessibility upgrades (including adding elevators where feasible), unit renovations geared toward "age-in-place" (universal-design retrofits rather than full ADA conversions) and common-area work. The consultants reported an overall 20-year reserve/replacement plan and escalation assumptions used for projecting future costs.

- Immediate fiscal consequences: The consultants said insurance costs have risen (from about $75,000 annually to roughly $400,000) because of outdated fire-safety systems; the city is currently subsidizing roughly $1,000,000 per year to operate the property, they said. The study also identified about 34 vacant units that could be re-leased; renting a subset at 80% of area median income could yield roughly $1.0–1.5 million in additional annual revenue depending on voucher and subsidy availability.

Resident control, trust and next steps

Consultants described resident priorities for rebuilding trust with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and for a formalized memorandum of understanding or similar instrument that would give organized tenant associations standing in decisions about renovation timing and leasing policies. The study recommended funding a part-time organizer to build tenant capacity and suggested the city should fund renovation work before any ownership transition so residents are not handed an under-invested building.

The consulting team said the city previously allocated $9.4 million for Building 1 but that rising construction costs and delays have produced a funding gap. The consultants and commissioners urged the Mayor’s Office of Housing to prioritize the project and to pursue subsidy and financing sources that could be combined with city funds.

A public meeting to present recommendations to residents, Supervisor Ahsha Safaí (noted in materials as the local supervisor) and Mayor’s Office of Housing leadership was scheduled for April 26, 2025.

The commission did not take action; commissioners and presenters emphasized next steps include securing capital for renovations, developing a formal tenant–city agreement and funding tenant organizing capacity.