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Forest Park URA approves up to $750,000 for urgent repairs at Park at Fort Gillum
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Summary
The Urban Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to authorize up to $750,000 for emergency repairs at the Park at Fort Gillum after a property condition assessment estimated $7.2 million for full redevelopment and recommended prioritized critical fixes.
The Forest Park Urban Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to authorize up to $750,000 for immediate, critical repairs at the Park at Fort Gillum, including roofs, mold remediation, trip-hazard sidewalk repairs and parking-lot work.
A consultant’s property condition assessment placed a full-rehabilitation estimate for the 51-building complex at about $7.2 million but recommended a prioritized, shorter-term package of urgent work. “It’s showing $7,000,000 if you all wanted to upgrade every single thing at the property,” Darion Dunn of CI Asset Management told the board, but he urged focusing on a targeted list of critical repairs.
The board heard that the property manager’s rent roll is roughly $40,000 per month, that roughly 102 units are occupied and that about 23 units are currently out of service. TI Asset Management’s Director of Operations, Ronald, said teams identified 10 buildings (about 32 apartments) as the highest priority for roof repairs and that vendors provided drone and on-site inspections to substantiate recommendations.
Staff and consultants presented a critical-repair estimate near $1.5 million but said that smaller, prioritized work could address immediate health and safety threats such as active leaks and microbial growth. Dunn noted the plan includes a $50,000 line for mold remediation and a roughly $12,000 estimate for removing sidewalk trip hazards. He also emphasized that management must bring any single purchase over $5,000 to the board for approval.
Chairing the motion, the board moved to approve emergency repairs not to exceed $750,000; the motion was made by Dr. Patrick and seconded by Miss Sutton and passed unanimously.
The presentation also included a lift-station update: contractors repaired broken flanges, cleared root intrusion and located sewer lines; the only remaining pending item was electrical-panel relay work, estimated at about $1,200 in addition to previously approved lift-station work. Consultants warned that a full replacement of the lift station and sewer lines could cost up to $1.5–$2 million, while an internal replacement estimate was about $150,000.
The board directed staff to return with vendor quotes and purchase orders for the approved repairs as individual actions exceed management authority, and consultants said additional decisions about larger capital investment versus future redevelopment will require further board discussion.
Next steps: staff and TI Asset will secure quotes and bring recommended purchase orders to the URA for formal approval before work exceeding delegated thresholds begins.
