Overview of RAD at Arcola Towers
RAD Meeting: Arcola Towers
On Monday, January 4, 2016, HOC held a meeting for Arcola Towers to update residents on the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. The meeting was conducted by Jay Shepherd, Senior Financial Analyst, and offered in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Korean with the assistance of translators.
Mr. Shepherd informed residents that HOC officially closed on the project approximately two weeks ago in late December of 2015. Approximately $10 million is being spent to convert and renovate Arcola Towers through HUD’s RAD program. The contractor, Harkin Builders, will begin renovations soon.
Residents should have received a 30-day relocation notice which HOC sent in December. The notice does not mean you must move out of your unit in exactly 30 days because work will be completed in stages.
Units ending in numbers “02” and “04” will be renovated first and work will take about 60 calendar days to complete. When the contractor is finished, units must be inspected for safety reasons before residents can return. Units ending in “01” and “03” are scheduled for the second round. The entire building will take 12 to 13 months to renovate.
Renovation work will extend to hallways, windows, the lobby, sprinkler system and the canopy on the exterior entrance. Those areas are targeted for late summer. The parking lot will also be repaved.
Unit renovations will be tailored to resident needs and include approved reasonable accommodation requests. During construction, balconies will be closed and railings will be removed. HOC contractors will use exterior lifts to transport materials to the work site. HOC requests residents and visitors to stay away from the lifts for safety reasons. Arrangements will be made to provide a new designated space for recycling bins.
Renovation work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; however, contractors will limit noise between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Workers are required to wear or have identification on them at all times during construction at Arcola Towers.
During relocation, residents will move to vacant units elsewhere in the building. Their current appliances will move with them. HOC encourages residents to consider permanently relocating to the new unit because it will only require one move; however, staff will work with residents who want to return to their previous unit.
During the renovation process, residents must sign a temporary occupancy agreement for their temporary unit. HOC will pay for any utility and/ or cable transfer fees charged to the resident. Residents will keep their mailbox key during the renovation.
HOC will pay for a professional moving company to move all resident belongings before and after renovations. Movers will conduct walk-throughs before relocation to determine the number of boxes and supplies needed for that unit. Background checks will be conducted on all contracted employees. Boxes will be provided to residents.
Phase One: Application Submission
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved the RAD application, submitted by HOC, for Arcola on December 18, 2013.
Phase Two: Planning the Renovation
Phase Three: Start Renovations
HOC projects that it will begin renovating Arcola Towers in September or October 2015. During this time, the property will receive a complete overhaul. The property’s projected date of completion is Spring 2016.
Contractor Information
Contact Information
HOC’s commitment is to remain transparent and keep all stakeholders informed of RAD-related developments. Most importantly, HOC is committed to keeping affected households actively involved in the conversion process. Below is key contact information for RAD-related questions, concerns, or comments.