On the mend

At 1225 Blakeway Street, tucked behind Daniel Island School, is a compact and tranquil patch of land with 84 residential homes. The Parkside Condos, as they’re officially known, sustain plenty of life, but in a quiet space.

But, in the past year, the peaceful air was interrupted by a critical construction project to protect the neighborhood homes from severe weather in the future. Structural damages that have been with the townhomes from their birth caused the need for restoration. As co-owner of Kennedy Richter Construction Paul Kennedy describes it, the buildings’ required rehabilitation was extensive.

“There was a bunch of water intrusion and termite damages, so ultimately we completed repairs that included the removal of siding, removal of the roofs, removal and replacement of the windows; a variety of different work that went into everything,” he commented.

Despite the grocery list of fixes that Kennedy Richter Construction initiated, inhabitants of the area may not notice any exterior alterations.

“The buildings look essentially the exact same that they did, aside from the color changes that were occurring, but there were a bunch of structural framing changes that occurred back behind the siding,” Kennedy explained.

Kennedy Richter Construction was hired to complete the $4 million project by the Parkside Condos HOA Board. By the time the process wrapped up, construction took 14 months, finished ahead of schedule, and was under budget. The repairs were funded with proceeds from a lawsuit filed against the original builder of the units.

According to Community Association Manager Joe Bunting at Sentry Management Inc., the group that runs the property, all credit for the smooth process goes to the Parkside Condos Board of Directors.

“When one thinks about the hours of work the board members have invested over the past year and a half of construction restoration, renovation and upgrades, one is humbled by their sacrifices,” said Bunting. “They accomplished tangible good and built not just the community but the community’s spirit, and in doing so, they were not paid one dime for this.”

Board Director Joel Good stated that it was a blessing to work on the project, alongside Co-Directors Peter Estes, Scott Winograd, and Dan Brannan, who passed away in April 2018.

“Each of us has contributed uniquely to the various stages of the project, and together we have a cohesive and focused team,” Good continued. “I am humbled by the patience and kindness of the Parkside residents. There have been many fits and starts over the past several months, but our neighbors have been wonderful throughout.”

“This has been a collaborative effort from the beginning,” added Estes. “Everyone has really pulled their weight and then some.”

As far as the repair process went, Kennedy Richter Construction worked inside residential dwellings, while the residents remained in place. Construction Superintendent Matt McDaniel said that they interacted with Parkside Condo inhabitants “every day.”

“Joe [Bunting] did a good job. He acts as a buffer in between, so [it] was a smooth process,” McDaniel said.

Construction projects of this variety require a “very hands-on approach,” said Kennedy, because of the close proximity to populated areas.

Bunting enthusiastically mentioned that all 84 Parkside Condo homeowners graciously let the construction workers into their homes.

“Because we were replacing windows on the outside of the building, obviously that impacted the inside of their homes, so it was very important to us that we had access,” he described.

The folks running the show in the repair department tried to be as communicable with the residents as possible.

“We interact with the board on a weekly basis, so we have weekly meetings with them to bring them up to date on schedule, budget, things of that nature,” said Kennedy. “And then, quarterly, we meet with the full development. Every one of the 84 unit owners, we met with them, they discuss what kind of problems they had.”

The repairs were warranted due to construction defects in the housing units, a problem that Kennedy refers to as “predominant” for multi-family dwellings.

“I don’t know if in the single family dwelling it’s as common, but in the multi-family—I don’t know of any multi-family projects that have been built in the Charleston market that haven’t had some form of intrusion issues. It’s a pretty common theme,” he said.

The condominiums at 1225 Blakeway Street were originally put on the market in 2006. The 84-unit multi-family development was created as an affordable homeownership option for area residents and first-time home buyers. At the time, the units were priced below market value and the minimum family income to afford a condo was approximately $55,000 - $60,000, depending on the final selling price and down payment. Single applicants were not allowed to make more than $59,250 and the income ceiling for a family of five was $91,350.

While most of the project centered around making the homes water-tight to ensure safety during any inclement weather, Kennedy Richter Construction and the board of directors plan to do revitalization and beautification work as well. Landscaping work is planned to be completed by the end of summer.