Remodeled Palm Springs apartments upgrade downtown
Over the past few decades the Whispering Palms Apartments earned the moniker ‘Crack Towers’ because high rates of drug crime and decay.
Now the new owner is making big changes to bring in a new class of renters and help revitalize these 50 year old buildings into something new, called Latitude 33.
More than 60 workers have been on task remodeling the old apartments.
Rooms are being demolished all the way to the wood studs. All the flooring is being replaced and a fresh coat of paint is now in place all the way around.
The owner of Latitude 33, Steve Huffman, bought the building in February and is changing these once low rent apartments into brand new upscale units.
“We understand the previous reputation of this building and that’s why we are making every effort possible, that crime will not be tolerated in this building and we are very excited to turn this thing around,” said Huffman.
Of the 121 units at Latitude 33, only three tenants will be staying after the transformation.
“We have worked with them, we have given them plenty of notice, we are helping them move, we are giving them an opportunity to relocate into remodeled apartments as long as they qualify,” said Huffman.
Ray Martin owns Lush and Efficient Landscaping and he’s working on the remodel. Martin had his first apartment here at Whispering Palms when he was 17.
“It’s interesting, it looks a lot better. I’m really excited about what Steve is doing with the project and it’s a lot different,” said Martin.
People we talked with in the neighborhood are happy this complex is getting an upgrade.
“It’s fabulous, it’s about time, the city let them turn that into something a little nicer then a gathering for drugs and whatever else was going on in there,” said Ty Abshire of Palm Springs.
“It’s really changed in the last month, and everyone is rallying behind them with the help of the police and the fact that Crack Towers and becoming more upscale is good and hopefully the neighborhood will change with it,” said Bruce Kennedy, owner of Bear Wear located just down the street from Latitude 33.
Some of the units will be done by as early as August 8 with the entire project being done by December. The complex is taking applications for new renters.
