Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Out with the old

Owners demolish 3 Bavarian Village condo buildings

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By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

An excavator cleans the site following demolition of three Bavarian Village condo buildings along west Ketchum’s Bird Drive. The buildings housed 17 units. Photo by Willy Cook

Ketchum's seven-building Bavarian Village has shrunk by three. A demolition crew tore down the trio of buildings on Bird Drive early this month, leaving the town with 17 fewer affordable rental units.

But, landowner Dennis Hanggi said, these weren't the kind of cheap rental units Ketchum wants. He said that when he'd drive prospective renters to the units, they'd refuse to see an apartment before even getting out of the car. The 27,000-square-foot group of apartments was built in the early 1970s and, he said, was dilapidated. He has been involved with the village since 1978 and said the units served their purpose—always being affordable—but have "outlived their economic life."

Hanggi owned two of the demolished buildings, and his wife's mother owned the other. Hanggi pointed out that only four of the 17 units were occupied before demolition, and replacement housing was found for those renters.

Hanggi said that when the buildings were standing, he'd receive calls from neighbors complaining about the state of his Bavarian buildings and trash on the property.

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"Now, the calls have been, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you,'" he said. "We feel we've increased the property values of the neighbors."

He said the land would remain vacant until it becomes economically feasible to rebuild. In the meantime, the grade has been restored and the ground hydro-seeded.

"I think we made a decision that was right for everyone—us, the neighbors and the city," he said.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com

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