Nearly half the residents at Orchidtree Apartments in downtown Scottsdale have already moved out.
Their front doors are now marked with an ominous slash of red ink to note the vacated units.
Others slowly pack their belongings with confidence, knowing they have new homes to move into by the July 31 deadline to move out.
The property owner’s decided to force tenants out so the complex southeast of Camelback Road and 68th Street can be razed to build a new set of luxury condos near the Scottsdale Waterfront.
However, a handful of residents are reluctant to budge.
One senior woman, who moved to Orchidtree nearly 20 years ago, has not found a new home or hired a moving company to haul her belongings.
Another older woman had what neighbors described as a nervous breakdown at the sight of the movers on her doorstep. So she "fired" them.
Some can’t believe it’s time to go
"Some people are in denial," said Kirk Sutherland,20, who moved to Orchidtree a decade ago with his family.
Orchidtree is one of the last affordable rental complexes in Scottsdale, where according to one study nearly 3,000 such units were converted into condos between 2005 and 2006.
Neighborhood activists argue that Scottsdale leaders need to ensure residents like those forced out of Orchidtree have affordable alternatives.
Sutherland said most residents first received notices weeks ago about International Capital Partners’ decision to demolish the complex at 6801 E. Camelback Road.
Others spotted rezoning notices.
Sutherland’s elder neighbors, however, have taken longer to heed warnings.
"I keep telling (neighbors), ‘The place is emptying out,’ " he said. "You couldn’t find a covered parking spot before. Now you can park wherever you want."
Complex built 35 years ago
Orchidtree is made up of 278 units. The complex was built in 1972 during a time in Scottsdale’s history when the concept of luxury downtown complexes and master-planned communities had not fully taken off in a city known for its Old West heritage.
Back then, it truly was the West’s Most Western Town.
Today’s residents include a handful of low-income families who receive federal housing aid and seniors with medical problems.
Monthly rent at the complex averages between $800 and $1,000.
A sad decline over the years
Most residents claim Orchidtree has gone from a quaint, well-kept property to rundown in the past several years.
"Fortunately, a lot of people have already moved out of here," said Tristan Walter, 23, who plans to move this summer back to the Seattle area.
"My place really isn’t that bad," Walter said. "But two years ago, the A/C unit went out for most of the summer. That was interesting."
The units are made of concrete, making the lower level units quite cool in the summer.
The greatest wear and tear is on the roofs. The cooling system also is in need of a complete overhaul, which could cost the property several million dollars to replace all pipes through each unit.
Neighbors helping neighbors
Longtime Scottsdale activist Nancy Cantor moved to Orchidtree nearly one year ago.
The modest, 1,200 square-foot, 3-bedroom apartment Cantor shares with her sister and niece served the women well.
Cantor said she wouldn’t move unless she was forced to. She is within walking distance to just about everything downtown and right near a bus route that runs along Camelback Road.
Cantor volunteered to help a group of nearly 20 elder neighbors move as she copes with her own move to a patio home north of downtown Scottsdale. She has a list of possible rental properties.
"Most of these people are not well. They don’t have family in the area," Cantor said. "Back then (in the 70s and 80s) this was affordable housing. Now, they have no place to go."
Michael Ferraresi
The Arizona Republic
