Mitchell Landing Apartments sold to developers after controversy, legal threats
SALISBURY, Md. – Housing officials in Salisbury are expecting an uphill battle at the Mitchell Landing Apartments complex.
Mayor Signs on Sale
Monday, Salisbury City Council passed a resolution to allow its Vice President, Angela Blake, to sign off on the sale of the problem property in the place of Mayor Randy Taylor. Council member Sharon Dashiell was the only dissenting vote. City Council President D’Shawn Doughty has recused himself from the matter, as he is an employee of Green Street Housing, a company involved in the sale.
The resolution was passed after the City was put on notice by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) over inaction on selling and rehabilitating the complex.
Despite that resolution, Mayor Taylor and developers officially put their pens to paper Tuesday. The Wicomico Housing Authority is the new owner of the complex. Rivermitch LLC, a partnership between Green Street Housing and the Wicomico Housing Authority, is the lessee.
Conditions Leave Housing Officials “Speechless”
The plan is to completely gut the complex and return it to affordable, livable conditions. Housing officials hope the work will provide affordable housing in the face of a nationwide crisis.
“It’s a small drop in the bucket, but it’s something moving forward,” said Executive Director of the Wicomico Housing Authority, Don Bibb. “Mitchell Landing is going to be a gem back into the community, as it was when it was first built.”
However, that work will prove to be challenging. 18 of the 24 units in the complex are condemned. Some of them are simply not accessible because of corroded metal and concrete on external stairways to upper-floor units.
WMDT got a look inside one of the condemned units. It was almost completely covered, floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with black mold. Housing officials say even they were shocked by the deplorable conditions.
“I’m speechless. It is the worst unit I’ve ever viewed, and I have toured hundreds of them over the years,” said Principal of Green Street Housing, David Layfield. “One of the first steps is going to be sending in men in spacesuits to get rid of that black mold in a proper way. We just made the decision [now] on this particular unit. I think we need to get in here before we even have construction funds available.”
Financing to be Finalized
Removing the mold in that unit is an immediate priority. However, Layfield says about $40 million in financing still needs to be finalized over the next two months.
“The Housing Authority now officially owns the property. That’s just phase one. Phase two is moving through the financing process and closing on those financing commitments,” Layfield said. “Part of that is getting the City to cooperate on permits and public works agreements, which they haven’t so far.”
Plans are in place to begin construction at Mitchell Landing sometime in November. Layfield is hoping that Mayor Taylor will cooperate with developers.
“[Mayor Taylor] said he wants to move forward on the project, he said he wants to have affordable housing,” Layfield said. “Now that [the Housing Authority] owns it, work with us to get that done.”
WMDT reached out to Mayor Taylor on Wednesday morning and has not yet heard back.
Looking Ahead
As for DHCD’s demands, Secretary Jake Day tells WMDT that the department is satisfied, for now. If there is any kind of disruption with financing or issuance of building permits, Secretary Day says the state plans to take action once again.
Looking ahead, Bibb says the Wicomico Housing Authority is working on other projects that may help to build up the local stock of safe, affordable housing. In particular, Bibb teased the revitalization of 75 units at Riverside Homes on Alabama Avenue. Additionally, Bibb said the Authority is making progress on phase two of Stone Grove Crossing.
However, Bibb says that a lack of affordable housing is not just a Salisbury issue, but an international one.
