As you may well know, gas has been restored to the Summerset Apartments which means that all residents now have heat, hot water and the ability to cook once again. While the restoration of the gas was the first priority of the response efforts, it was merely the beginning of work that needed to be done. There were approximately 1,000 code violations that still existed throughout the 220-unit complex and the complex had been neglected for many years. Each individual unit required many repairs and upgrades to improve the complex to not only a habitable space, but also a place that residents could be proud of.
Chris Henry, owner of the Summerset Apartments, hired Regency Property Management to take over the redevelopment and oversight of the operations of the property for the foreseeable future. This was a welcomed step in the process as Regency manages and owns thousands of properties locally in Fresno. Brad Hardie, President/CEO of Regency, had been at Summerset from the first day of the crisis providing heaters, blankets, expertise and helping out however else he could. Brad and his team rapidly began the process of fixing the property and getting things back on track for the 1,000+ residents that call Summerset home.
A majority of units are getting fully remodeled from new flooring, to new cabinets, to new bathroom fixtures, to a full, top-to-bottom remodel (depending on the condition of the existing units). Buildings have already begun receiving new roofs and every building on the premises is having new stucco applied to the entire exterior to replace the worn wood paneling that was there prior. When the project is complete, the remodel and upgrades alone will cost the owner over $1,000,000. However, this is what this community deserves and should be the standard for all property owners in the Fresno community!
FIRM Executive Director, Zachary Darrah says, “I am so grateful for Brad Hardie and his team who has been part of this from the very first day. I have met with Brad several times over these last couple of months and am confident that he is the right guy to oversee every step of making Summerset a great community for the residents to live. I look forward to seeing the finished product and most importantly, seeing the residents excited about their new homes!” We will continue to update the community throughout the process and will continue to assist the residents and Regency Property Management however possible. We want to once again thank every person, organization, media-outlet, church and other group that assisted with this crisis to help the refugee community during a great time of need.