If all goes well, interested senior citizens will be able to move into the 50-unit senior citizen apartment complex on Park Avenue in downtown Ironton Feb.

Wednesday, January 19, 2000

If all goes well, interested senior citizens will be able to move into the 50-unit senior citizen apartment complex on Park Avenue in downtown Ironton Feb. 1, said Winer, president of Arthur Howard Winer and associates, a Marietta-based company with 15 years of historical rehabilitation experience.

"We’re now involved in punch work," Winer said. "That is where you have done something and you have to go back and touch it up. Some work still needs to be done on the outside, but that’s relative to the commercial areas."

If work is delayed, Winer said he will inform the public as soon as possible.

"We’re shooting to have occupancy commence Feb. 1," he said. "If it needs to be put off a couple of days, I’d like to tell people as early as possible. If you have to give a landlord a month’s notice, you need to give them that month. I think we’ll have a better handle as to how things are progressing (after the meeting).

"There may be some that need to get in and we’ll do what we can."

Hopefully, the addition of a housing complex will be a benefit to the Ironton downtown community, said Lou Pyles, Ironton Business Association co-president.

"I think it will bring some businesses into the downtown," Mrs. Pyles said. "There will be people there who can walk to the different businesses."

And the attractive exterior could also encourage other businesses to move in, she added.

"A nice attractive establishment will make a very nice addition to the city," Mrs. Pyles said. "I just hope we have a lot of nice tenants that will keep the establishment nice so when people come into town and go through the Marting, or Park Avenue Apartments, they will be impressed."

Anyone who is interested in obtaining an apartment in the facility, which will offer rents in the mid-$200s to $400s may contact the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization or R.L.J. Management Co. in Gahanna at 1-614-337-9716, ext. 101.

"There have been lots of people contacting the CAO, and Betty Adams who works in the development office," Winer said. "She’s been taking names and passing them on to the management company."

Getting information back to the management company quickly might be the surest bet to secure an apartment, Winer added.

"You always have more applicants than units," he said. "But an applicant is not an applicant until we have the complete package."

Some of the documentation future renters must disclose include

– Third party evidence of income, whether it be Social Security, retirement or pension.

– Evidence of assets.

– Social Security number.

– Number of individuals who will live in the apartment.

– Proof that the person is 62 years old or older.

– Documentation of prior rental history.

Even if the complex does not get enough qualified applicants, officials cannot rent to people who do not meet the minimum requirements, Winer said.

"We’re required to rent to seniors because that’s the kind of property we indicated it would be," he said. "Based on the responses we’ve had, though, I would be very surprised if we were not able to fill the building with qualified applicants."

The Marting Hotel, originally completed in 1919, was designed by prominent early 20th century Columbus architects McCarty and Bullford.

The seven-story Italian Renaissance Revival style building faced with dark brick will house 50 one- to two-bedroom apartments and a recreation area and laundry facility.

The lower level of the building, which was placed on the National Historic Register last year, will be rented to people interested in opening up a restaurant or other business.

Other projects in the works by Arthur Howard Winer and Associates include a 50-unit family complex at Storm’s Creek, and a 31-unit family complex at 10th Street, Winer said.

"The Storms Creek project is getting ready to close for construction purposes," he said. "It will be February to March before we will be able to close for start of construction at 10th Street."