Pleasant Ridge Redevelopment Plan

pleasant ridge redevelopment Reinventing a Community Revitalizing a City

blight to bright inside • Why Redevelop?

• Previous Efforts • Homeowners’ Opportunities • Renters’ Opportunities • Community’s Benefits • Why Now? • Requirements for Success

Proposed Pleasant Ridge Redevelopment Plan

This publication is to inform Charlestown’s residents and business owners of the facts surrounding the city’s proposed redevelopment of the Pleasant Ridge housing area, commonly referred to as “The Projects.” Included here is some background as to why we should redevelop, what has been tried in the past, the housing options for Pleasant Ridge residents who occupy their homes, homeownership opportunities for renters, community-wide benefits, why redevelopment should occur now and, lastly, what is needed to make this a success.

Why should we redevelop Pleasant Ridge?

Houses in Pleasant Ridge have been in use longer than they were intended to be. The Army contracted with Gunnison homes of New Albany to build the dwellings in 1942. The homes built in Pleasant Ridge were installed with a specialized floor patent that allowed them to be placed on piers so that they could be moved at a later date.

Consequently, these buildings were installed with the understanding that they were temporary and would be removed by the army after the war. They were not removed. Seventy years later these temporary homes have become a major challenge for our community.

In the fifties, sixties and seventies almost all of the homes in Pleasant Ridge were occupied by families who owned them. Over the last forty years property ownership has changed such that many houses are rental properties belonging to absentee landlords. This will continue as homeowners move, homes go into estates or deteriorate and become vacant. Ten years from now it will be more than 90% rental properties and more resources will need to be spent.

As we discuss the need to redevelop Pleasant Ridge it is important to recognize there are good people who live there; people who anyone would enjoy having as neighbors. They have invested in their homes but as the condition of the area around them has deteriorated they have become trapped with fallen home values. These responsible homeowners are not the problem. Challenges with “The Projects,” that will be elaborated upon below, have a major impact on people living there and on Charlestown as a whole.

Crime The Pleasant Ridge that so many grew up in is not the Pleasant Ridge of today. As the conditions of the houses has worsened and the property values have continued to fall, the number of police calls to the area has increased. Incidents include theft, domestic violence, rape, drug trafficking and assault. Even though the area represents less than 13% of Charlestown’s population almost 50% of police calls are to that area. In the last two years well over one hundred drug-dealing arrests have been made in Charlestown. 92% of them have been from Pleasant Ridge. Recently a man was arrested for suspicion of contracting for murder on one of our drug officers. The crime not only impacts the law abiding residents of Pleasant Ridge but the city as a whole. It is a huge problem for our community and particularly for our kids and schools. This will worsen unless a redevelopment of the area occurs.

Other City Services Trash pickup, debris collection, animal control, code enforcement, and utilities all experience a similar disproportional use of resources in the Pleasant Ridge area. This imbalance is not fair to the rest of the city, nor is it acceptable.

Something needs to be done.

Everyone agrees that action is required. The city has tried to revitalize this area by condemning ten properties and building new homes in 2002 - 2003. New Hope Services partnered with the city and built five new homes. This program was halted, however, because after people became qualified to buy a home they had no desire to purchase new homes in “The Projects�. The city and New Hope Services still own vacant lots with no hope of selling them because the due to conditions there.

Why not tear down only the poorly kept homes?

The city cannot afford to purchase the homes and demolish them, only to have 150 or more vacant lots that will require maintenance. Furthermore, no developer will want to build new homes in the middle of all the remaining older homes. As stated previously, we tried this with New Hope Services. Conditions have worsened and the city would not be wise to attempt it again.

Will property owners only be paid $6,000 for their house?

NO! The sale price of the home will be set between the property owner and the developer based on fair market value.

What are the options for the homeowners in Pleasant Ridge?

There are multiple options for the homeowners that will be offered: Option 1) For seniors 55 and older a new gated senior community called Cherry Grove is proposed as one option. This will include patio homes with two floor plans, both with one car garages. One is 992 square feet, with 1 bedroom, and 1 & 1/2 baths. The other has1139 square feet, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. These will be subsidized homes, designed for seniors on fixed incomes. Cherry Grove will have its own community center. These homes will be built first so the residents choosing this option can move directly from their existing home into their new home.

Architects Rendering of Patio Homes for Cherry Grove Senior Community

Option 2) In a new separate subdivision there will be single family homes, patio homes, and duplexes. There are several floor plans from which to choose. These homes, too, will be built first so residents of Pleasant Ridge will be able to move directly into them.

Option 3) Buying an existing home, or even one of the new homes that will be built as part of the new development at Pleasant Ridge, are possibilities Some homeowners have expressed that they already have plans and just want to sell their home.

What about those who have paid off their homes?

The cost of living in a home is more than just a mortgage. Other costs that must be considered are utility bills, property taxes, property insurance, home maintenance expenses, future repairs, security costs, lawn care, etc. Quality of life is something that should be mixed into the equation, also, when deciding what the best move might be. We have met with several seniors who have no mortgage who would like to move into the Cherry Grove Senior community. Cost analysis showed that even though they would be paying rent, they would actually save money each month because the rent will include all utilities and other costs associated with owning a home. They will also keep the proceeds from the sale of their homes. Each circumstance will be different and each homeowner is having the opportunity to meet one on one to help choose the option that provides the best fit. For some homeowners this process may take up to two years. The overall redevelopment process should make it possible for current homeowners in Pleasant Ridge, who are choosing option 1 or option 2, to see their new home being built and then to move directly from their Pleasant Ridge home into the new house..

What about those who rent?

Renters will be able to enroll in a pathway to ownership program to help repair their credit, if needed, and to become qualified for purchasing an affordable home. Information will also be given to them of other available rental properties. For renters who are older than 55 there will be options at the Cherry Grove development and the Housing Authority. Some landlords have already offered rental property they own outside of Pleasant Ridge.

How does this benefit Charlestown overall?

This is the largest development investment in Charlestown since the ammunition plant. It will result in growth of jobs, retail stores, restaurants, revitalization of the downtown area, improvement in our schools, and a better quality of life for everyone in Charlestown. It will move us closer to becoming the best community in southern Indiana to live, work and raise a family.

1. Redevelopment will significantly lower the overall crime rate and create a safer community. It will help lessen the impact of illegal drugs in our schools and on our families.

2. Redevelopment will remove a cloud over the city, a stigma that stymies economic growth, negatively affects our schools, existing businesses and quality of life. It will move us beyond the “army years” and chart a new course that will place Charlestown in a better position to benefit from the growth of River Ridge and the east end bridge.

3. Redevelopment will allow city services to be used more equitably throughout the entire city. One specific example is that police patrols in all of the city should increase.

4. Redevelopment will renew the downtown area. As Pleasant Ridge, the largest housing area near downtown, has gone from predominately owner occupied homes to predominately low rent housing with higher crime, more buildings downtown have become vacant. With a new dynamic in the redeveloped Pleasant Ridge will come increased business opportunities in the downtown area.

5. Redevelopment will bring a broader tax base that will help in every aspect of our community.

6. Redevelopment will bring an investment of over 120 million dollars into the community by developers, new businesses and builders. There has not been that type of investment into the city since the ammunition plant in 1940. This type of redevelopment will have a positive affect on maintaining a low tax rate.

7. Redevelopment will improve living conditions and quality of life for everyone inside and outside of Pleasant Ridge.

“There is nothing else that we could do to better position Charlestown for the growth that is headed our way than to redevelop Pleasant Ridge (The Projects). It will lessen drug trafficking and crime that will make a safer community. It will improve every aspect of Charlestown. It will bring restaurants, retail shops, and revitalization to the downtown area. The time is right and the resources are here that can make this a win-win for everyone. As I look to the future of Charlestown and its families, I feel this is NOT a choice but a responsibility!”

- Mayor Bob Hall

Why do this now?

There are two main reasons for proposing this now. First, the fast paced growth occurring in River Ridge Commerce Center and the construction of the east end bridge. Secondly, the right partners are coming together.

At the beginning of 1940 Charlestown had 965 residents but by the end of the year the number had grown to over 13,000. It became a boom town because of the ammunition plant. When the plant closed in the seventies, Charlestown became a bust town. The construction of the bridge, new businesses in River Ridge and the jobs that accompany those businesses, make it like 1940 in Charlestown. Traveling to Jeffersonville on Highway 62 is no longer the leisurely drive it once was. Growth is at our door and the city must continue to prepare for it. Change is coming quickly and is going to happen whether we like it or not.

The question is what are we going to change into. We should address the problem of Pleasant Ridge while it is manageable, before it gets bigger.

Building the best place to live and raise a family demands that we as a community address the crime and drug problems.

We now have the right partners who want to help make this a win-win. One such partner is the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, through their Blight Elimination Funds, Tax Credits for the Senior Housing Community, and Single Family programs for affordable housing.

Another partner is New Hope Services, a non profit corporation that specializes in affordable senior and single family housing with a pathway to homeownership program. Several banks are able to provide special programs for loans for these homes if needed. Neace Ventures development group, along with partnering builders, will add much needed resources and expertise to the redevelopment project.

What’s the time frame of this project?

If approved, the purchasing and removing of the existing homes will need to be completed in two years or by the summer of 2016. This would require the building of the Cherry Grove senior community, and the homes in the new subdivision, to start next year, in 2015. The construction of new homes in the Pleasant Ridge area, like in any new subdivision, will take several years.

Is the city targeting Glendale or any other housing areas for redevelopment?

NO, absolutely not! Pleasant Ridge housing is unique in that it was meant to be temporary housing, it has a high crime rate and is more than 75% rental property. Pleasant Ridge is the only housing area targeted for redevelopment.

What is needed to make this a success?

This project will affect the whole community in a positive way so the support of the entire community is desired. The city, the city council and the community must take the lead in making sure those who currently live in Pleasant Ridge are given fair housing options. The council must approve this project and the city must commit necessary resources to insure a successful redevelopment.

This is a city-wide issue. It is part of the broader effort Charlestown has been making to become an even better place to live and raise a family. Pleasant Ridge Redevelopment fits into the broader context that includes the Family Activities Park, the upcoming new Police Station, the renovations at the Civic Center currently being designed, private development projects being considered for the downtown area, and much more. If you would like to share your thoughts with the mayor or city council contact information can be found at CityofCharlestown.com under the city government section.