Once languishing Davenport apartment complex breathes new life

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By Barb Ickes | Saturday, February 2, 2008 12:46 AM CST | () comments

Randy Schroeder cuts new woodwork in an apartment complex being renovated on East 37th Street in Davenport.(Larry Fisher/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

They refer to themselves as the “dynamic duo,” and police don’t particularly quarrel with the label.

In less than a year, two young managers have taken a problem-plagued apartment complex in Davenport and turned it around.

Sure, Eric Setser and Malissa Lortz have had the resources of their California-based bosses behind them, but the changes at the sprawling compound of rental units just north of Kimberly Road are more than cosmetic.

It wasn’t long ago that police were routinely called to Colonial Court Apartments, along with several others that occupy a long strip along East 39th Street, to answer disturbance complaints, drug dealing accusations and nuisance calls.

Many of the apartment units were falling in on themselves, which meant city inspectors were on the grounds almost as much as police.

A major renovation of the 144-unit Colonial Court Apartments was finished in 2003. The improvements, along with changes in tenant screening, made the whole area more desirable to renters and police.

But it wasn’t a complete cure.

In September 2006, RAF Properties bought Colonial Court and the 184-unit buildings that made up Northwood Village, changing the name to Kimberly Park, which now is under a major overhaul.

Six months after buying the property, RAF officials made another change: They hired Setser and Lortz to live at the complex, manage it and turn the whole campus into its own community.

“One of the first things they did was to put together a pretty stringent application process for tenants, which they submit to the police for background checks,” said Davenport police officer Scott Fuller, who works with the city’s N.E.T.S. program, or Neighborhoods Energized To Succeed. “By doing that, it makes a more stable and safe neighborhood.

“Managers in the past haven’t looked at renters at all.”

The pair did more than get choosy about tenants and enroll in the police department’s crime-free multihousing class. They got to know local contractors who would be renovating dozens of aging units into “luxury apartments.” They personally got to know the people who rent from them, and they became very particular about the upkeep and maintenance of the 327 units in their charge.

Judging by 90 percent occupancy rates and a high demand for the luxury units currently being renovated, the combination is working. Police agree.

In most cases, police calls to the buildings in the complex were cut in half between 2004 and 2007. In some cases, however, calls to police doubled. In those cases, the news is not bad, either, according to Davenport police Cpl. Mark Berger.

“You had several of the buildings along Bridge Avenue that went completely empty,” he said, referring to parts of the Kimberly Park complex, which was boarded up in late 2004. “In something like that, it’s a different class of call.

“It’s like the Goose Creek area where we used to hear shots-fired calls all the time. When things started to improve in that neighborhood, the calls may have gone up, but that’s partly because people had a confidence in us. It wasn’t the big calls, like stabbings, riots and fights.”

Fuller said the efforts by Setser and Lortz to be available to tenants at all times is what has largely made the difference.

“Getting people like Eric and Malissa on board is a huge plus because they take ownership of that community,” he said. “They’ve jumped on board big-time. Without them it wouldn’t be the place it is today.

“They deeply care about the neighborhood. What they’ve done is make you feel safe to walk there at night.”

When the operations manager for RAF Properties was looking for managers in Davenport, he knew what he was looking for. The company owns seven other properties in the Midwest and more in the South and West. But the company’s trend now is to move away from investments in its home state of California and to bring its money to the Midwest, Operations Manager Robert Neill said.

“Local knowledge is so important to us,” he said. “My job is to find the talent. Malissa had so much talent; she took over several positions.

“The Quad-Cities is underserved in luxury apartments,” he added. “A new paint job and carpet won’t do anymore. Our managers understand that — have that vision.”

The vision began with the overall renovation of Building 4 in the Kimberly Park complex. It reopened in January. Building 3 now is under construction, and Buildings 1 and 2 should be finished by September, Neill said.

When they’re not getting to know their current tenants, Setser and Lortz are looking for more. They use Web sites such as Rent.com to get word out about availabilities.

“But the best response is word-of-mouth,” Lortz said.

“People like our options,” Setser said. “We’re both dog lovers, so we would never discriminate against our four-legged friends.”

Although Setser said he has been so busy that his car hasn’t been moved in several days, he said the rewards make the sacrifices worthwhile.

“We’re very proud of what we’re doing here,” Lortz said.

“It’s a big responsibility,” Setser added. “We’re building something here.”

Barb Ickes can be contacted at (563) 383-2316 or bickes@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

A complex turnaround

What: Colonial Court and Kimberly Park apartments are in multiple buildings between Eastern and Bridge avenues and East 39th and East 37th streets in Davenport. There are 327 units in all.

Who: Davenporters Eric Setser and Malissa Lortz took over as managers in March 2007. The complexes were purchased by California-based RAF Properties in September 2006.

Changes: Davenport police say disturbance, nuisance and drug calls have been cut in half since the new company took over, crediting Setser and Lortz for “creating a community” there while putting stringent tenant application processes in place.

Currently: Four large buildings, containing more than 100 units, have undergone or are undergoing complete renovation. One of the buildings opened in January and is 80 percent occupied. Another is currently being renovated into “luxury apartments,” and two others are to be completed by the fall.