Renovations at the Roanoke apartment complex forced residents to relocate

Roanoke, Virginia – This summer, about 80 families who live in the English Gardens apartments in the Grandin neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia, will have to move somewhere else.

This comes after Raleigh Court’s English Gardens apartments were bought by new owners, Gardens at Grandin, who want to renovate the 75-year-old, 100-unit complex, with 84 of those units being historically significant.

Gardens at Grandin intends to get the property listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register as well as the National Register of Historic Places after the renovation is complete.

According to the company, the apartments will no longer be a safe place to reside while the development is taking place.

There are roughly 80 units occupied at this moment, with people who are either renting on a month-to-month basis or who have a contract that ends on or before June 30.

Residents will be required to relocate on or before June 30.

“Unfortunately, it is unsafe for tenants to remain in the buildings during active construction. We understand that the process of relocation can be difficult, and we are working to help current tenants by offering several rent support opportunities to ease some of the financial burden created by this decision,”explained Katie Schlake, residential property manager with Hall Associates, Inc., the property management firm for the English Gardens.

Residents were informed 100 days in advance that their leases would not be renewed, according to officials. Landlords have waived rent for the month of April in an attempt to make the relocating process a little easier.

Also, people who move out by the end of May or the beginning of June will get more rent refunds and prorations.