As posted on April 19, 2013, “Maple Street Goes HD – High Density”, it was stated in the
Missouri Housing Development Commission’s (MHDC) official annual report that
the Maple Avenue Apartments in Independence MO was on the State’s “Watch List”
for poor management and physical conditions.
This announcement was at a time when MHDC just approved the support of
the Palmer Senior Housing project at the old Palmer Junior High School
Building, right next door to the Maple Avenue projects resulting in a
substantial increase in the density of this block (97% rental). The MHDC had their annual meeting again last
month and, again, it was reported that Maple Avenue Apartments has now been on
the State’s “Watch List” for 15 months in a row making it one of MHDC’s worse
run housing projects. The report state’s
“Staff inspected the property in December 2013 and found the physical
condition, marketing techniques, and overall management of the property needing
improvement. Inspection items remain open and uncorrected 8823s were issued as
appropriate.” While driving by the
facility recently, problems were blatantly obvious. An abandon couch, pictured above, had
been left out in the rain for several weeks. I have to keep reminding myself that this is
all within view for tourists at the Harry S Truman Home National Historic Site and during Truman Week, Truman’s 130th Birthday, and a time when
congressmen and dignitaries were in the neighborhood to dedicate two completed
NSP housing restoration projects. Unfortunately,
witnessing this level of property management in the neighborhood is
common. What’s extremely troubling is
the fact that we tolerate it and, to a certain extent, we actually expect low
standards of care for our Presidential Neighborhood. Even the Midtown / Truman Road Corridor
Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation (M/TRC), who receives public money for
their operations and their efforts to maintain property maintenance codes for
those receiving tax abatement, doesn’t seem to care about this situation. Yes, Maple Avenue Apartments has been and
continues to receive tax abatement from M/TRC.
City Hall does little to hold developers accountable city-wide but
especially here in the Truman Neighborhood.
And this comes when the city is doubling down on government-subsidized rental
property on Maple Avenue. These
situations would be troubling in any neighborhood and drive investors away from
owner-occupied properties. But these
situations in the Truman National Historic Landmark District, one of the most
important residential neighborhoods in the country, are especially troubling
and are becoming a national embarrassment.
