Witness the rental buildings of Centennial still owned and managed by the original developer. They have been under major repair and reconstruction for more than 8 years. The siding has been torn off and replaced. Water damaged structural elements have been repaired or replaced. The buildings have finally been given a fire retardant and water resistant wrap. The extent of this work has likely cost Mr. Brown millions in order for him to retain his rental revenue and business investment. For some reason he has claimed that this is only some minor maintenance work due to normal wear and tear. The 8 years of major reconstruction is due to extensive water damage from poor design and cheap or missing materials. Of course, Mr. Brown will claim otherwise. It does not take an expert in building design to understand why these problems occurred or why the Centennial rental units have required 8 years of repair and reconstruction and the same work is needed for the owners’ units. Incidentally, the new siding on the rental buildings has been installed incorrectly voiding the manufacturers warranty. This is not the fault of the contractor, but a specific demand made by Brown.
The home owners of Centennial have spent hundreds of thousands over the years remodeling the interiors of their units; replacing flooring, fixtures, cabinets, appliances, windows, etc. The considerable investments in upgrades, most of which add nothing to units’ resale values due to limitations on capital improvements, provide APCHA with greatly-improved products to sell at no expense of their own. Owners have suffered with cold, drafty, noisy, energy-inefficient, structurally-unsound, mold-infested units with little or no insulation and windows that a representative from Holy Cross Electric said should never have been installed in a mountain environment. Vapor seals broke almost immediately after install and the metal frames and cheap build keep interiors cold and drafty all winter.
Employee housing that has been developed recently requires subsidies of $200,000 – $400,000 in order to be offered at affordable prices. Centennial received no financial subsidies in its construction. Had Centennial been granted a fraction of the subsidies of current projects, there is no telling how much sturdier, more durable, quieter, and more energy efficient it could have been.
