U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) met with management officials from Redwood Housing and toured the historic Bon Air Apartments on Sept. 7 and says he is pleased with what he saw and heard.
The Bon Air, located at 2101 Walton Way, has been the subject of scrutiny by Augusta commissioners, local code enforcement, the Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as the Congressman’s office.
“I feel they have made tremendous progress; there is still a lot to be done. This property needs a full renovation, but I feel that management here is going in the right direction,” Allen said.
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The Bon Air and Richmond Summit apartment complexes were both sold in 2021 to Redwood Housing out of Redwood, Texas. The Bon Air sold for $15.25 million, and Richmond Summit sold for $9.5 million, according to previous reports in The Augusta Press.
According to Allen, the historic building was already in terrible condition when Redwood Housing purchased it, and things got worse quickly.
“The previous owners were absentee landlords; this building hasn’t been renovated since the mid-1980s,” Allen said.
District 3 Augusta Commissioner Catherine McKnight contacted Allen’s office after hearing from residents of the facility who complained about leaking pipes, broken air conditioning and pest infestations. Meanwhile, nearby residents in the Summerville neighborhood complained to McKnight about hearing gunshots in the parking lot and witnessing drug deals occur in broad daylight.
Allen noted that Redwood Housing, unlike the previous owners, has a successful track record. The company manages 200 properties in 15 states.
Since the Congressman’s office got involved, Redwood Housing has fixed most of the plumbing and electrical issues, installed a key-card access system and placed cameras all over the outside and in the corridors inside the property.
Representatives of the company told Allen that an insurance claim has been accepted and work to repair hail damage to the exterior will begin soon.
According to Redwood Housing officials, the only thing standing in the way of a full restoration is the bureaucratic process of securing federal tax credits. Allen says he promised that his office would aid Redwood Housing in cutting through the red tape.
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“These are tax credits that are available for historic properties like this, and we are going to assist them in expediting that process,” Allen said.
Allen also said he looks forward to working with Augusta’s incoming mayor, Garnett Johnson, as well as the incoming commissioners to find creative ways to help solve the low-income housing shortage affecting Augusta.
According to Allen, it is not possible to simply go in and shut an entire property down without having pre-arranged a place for the displaced residents to go.
“We just shut down a property on Broad Street and, of course, the residents receive vouchers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that housing is immediately available,” Allen said.
Meanwhile, McKnight says she is cautiously optimistic about progress at the Bon Air, which was built in 1923 on the footprint of the original Bon Air that burned in 1921, but McKnight also says she will continue to verify that repairs and improvements are being made according to schedule.
“They know we’re watching,” McKnight said.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
