Apartments has now been purchased by Mecklenburg County and will be
torn down. The Doral complex has 260 apartment units on 19 acres. The
County purchased 128 of those apartments on eight acres of land for
$3.1 million.
The Doral Apartments, between Briar Creek and Monroe Road, has
flooded six times since 1995 with damage topping $8 million. Eighty
ground-floor apartment units flooded so badly during August 2008 that
they were not repaired. Engineering studies in 2005 concluded there
were no feasible options to prevent the apartment complex from
repeatedly flooding. The study determined that the most cost-effective
way to permanently reduce flood losses at Doral was to buy the highest-
risk buildings and tear them down.
The complicated purchase process took several years. In 2008,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services applied for a federal grant
to pay about 75% of the cost of buying part of the property and
tearing down affected buildings. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) approved the $3.5 million grant in 2009. In July 2010,
the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners approved the formal
purchase agreement which involves more than a million dollars in local
Storm Water revenue.
"This buyout has taken a long time, but it's definitely worth it,"
says Tim Trautman of Storm Water Services. "If you add up flood losses
over time, the Doral Apartments have the highest dollar amount of
damage in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It's actually cheaper for the
government to get people and buildings out of harm's way than it is to
repeatedly issue disaster checks and flood insurance checks after
severe floods."
Trautman notes that floodplain buyouts also make the community safer.
"This project helps reduce our community's flood risk. That could mean
saving residents' lives and property. And it reduces the risk faced by
emergency responders during a flood." Trautman also points out
benefits to the community from additional open space for recreation,
temporary flood storage and water quality improvements.
The County is donating various items from the 128 apartments to
Habitat for Humanity, including appliances, sinks, windows, doors,
cabinets and light fixtures. Demolition of the County-owned section is
expected to begin in the spring of 2011. Asphalt, brick, concrete and
carpet removed during demolition will be recycled.
About half of the Doral complex closest to Monroe Road was not
purchased by the County. That section of the apartment complex is also
in the floodplain, but has a significantly lower flood risk. The
current owner of Doral will decide what to do with the 132 units and
more than ten acres of land that remain under private ownership.
Total cost: $4.7 million
· $3.1 million to purchase the buildings and land
· $1.6 million for demolition and tenant relocation
Sources of funding:
· Department of Homeland Security/FEMA grant: $3.54 million
(75% of total project cost)
· Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water fees: $1.18 million (25%
of total project cost)
Eligible Doral residents were given relocation assistance to help with
moving expenses and finding a new place to live. All apartment units
purchased by the County were vacant by October 2010.
Benefits of the Doral buyout:
· permanently reduce the threat of loss of life or personal
property due to flooding
· save money on flood insurance claims and emergency response
services
· provide 8.4 acres of open space for the community
Doral Apartments buyout facts:
· Located at 524 Bramlet Road
· Built in 1966 before restrictions that limit construction in
floodplains
· Significant floods in 1995, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010
· Of 260 apartment units, 128 were purchased by the County
· The 128 units purchased by the County are in 19 buildings on
eight acres of land
In 2008, Mecklenburg County used a similar FEMA grant to buy the
Cavalier Apartments across Briar Creek from Doral. The Cavalier
Apartments were torn down and the 13-acre site is now open space. With
the Cavalier site, neighboring Chantilly Park and newly acquired
portion of Doral, the County now owns a 28-acre section of land along
Briar Creek. Possible uses might include floodplain features such as
wetlands to improve water quality in the creek, a greenway trail or
recreational opportunities. Many of the options depend on available
funding.
Since 2000, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has purchased
nearly 250 flood-prone buildings. As a result, more than 500 families
have been moved out of areas at highest risk of flooding. Buildings
acquired through the Floodplain Buyout Program have been torn down and
the floodplain has been returned to a more natural and beneficial
