Major changes for central Springfield
By James Cullum
Springfield residents have long complained about the condition of the aged Springfield Gardens Apartments, but, if approved, a new proposal could change that area of central Springfield forever.
As a result of serious crimes at the complex, many residents and neighbors are wary of walking through the area at night. Last year a man was killed in a gang shooting in a parking lot on the grounds; two months ago another man was raped and almost killed in a laundry room.
After years of county politicians trying to convince the owner of the apartments to renovate, the 2008 BRAC Area Plans Review process has resulted in a nomination to change the comprehensive plan for the property. If approved, the allowed density on the property would double.
While it was not “economically feasible” five years ago to tear down and rebuild on the site, said owner John Cowles of JCE Inc., now with base realignment soon moving thousands of defense workers to the area, “It seems like the right time for it.”
The apartments generate about $175,000 a year in tax revenue for the county, while the proposal for a phased tear down and rebuild could bring in more than $700,000 for the county in taxes annually, Cowles said.
"We need this, we're clinging to hope right now" that the nomination will be approved, said Springfield Civic Association President Tawny Hammond.
The apartments were built in the 1950s and '60s. Many of the two- and three-story buildings do not have air conditioning, and rents average about $1,100 a month. The proposal could bring in 11 new buildings, all five and six stories in height, with an average monthly rent of $1,800.
There are now 220 units. The proposal would increase that number to between 495 and 520 units.
The new buildings would be as near to the curb as possible but still 25 feet away from the property lines of homes along Dana Avenue and other streets, with little buffer planned. At this time, a six-foot fence separates the apartments from neighboring homes.
The apartments stretch along Commerce Street, winding all the way to Backlick Road, sandwiched between area homes on one side and the Springfield Plaza shopping center on the other.
The proposal still has to go through a long review process. The comprehensive plan change nomination must be recommended by the BRAC APR Task Force and the Planning Commission in the fall, then get approval from the Board of Supervisors in January 2009.
Once the nomination is approved, JCE would have to apply for a rezoning and gets its specific plan for the site approved.
JCE will have to apply for a Housing and Urban Development loan to cover the cost of the redevelopment. HUD holds a lien on the property. The program allows for a long-term mortgage of 40 years. Cowles said it would take a year to get approval for the loan.
While construction would be done over the course of five years, residents would be given six-months notice before they have to move out. Construction would begin first on the property off Cumberland Avenue and Dinwiddie Street.
After a presentation of the plan to the board of the Springfield Civic Association, member Bruce Waggoner said, "There were a lot of things I wanted to say to [Cowles] that dealt with the past. The fact of the matter is that this is going to take [Springfield] to a better place."