Newly Renovated, Enclave offers apartment living in Martin City
By Kathy Feist
A year and a half ago, Joe Woods and Michael Sullivan, both real estate brokers, bought the Blue Valley Apartment complex at 706 E.139 St. in Martin City.
“It was ‘distressed property,’” recalls Woods. “Some people weren’t paying rent. And the previous owners were not doing their best either.”
The two partners took it off the previous owner’s hands, invested close to a million dollars, and renamed the complex Enclave at Martin City.
They replaced the roof, laid down a new asphalt parking lot, and upgraded the 30 apartment units with a modern, chic look.
Each unit has a renovated kitchen with new cabinets and countertops, stainless steel appliances, an impressive spring coil pull-down faucet, and this year’s hottest trend, the subway tile backsplash.
In keeping with a nice Martin City feel are gray weathered wood vinyl plank flooring. The walls are a soft gray with white trim work. Some units have a painted exposed brick wall. Bedrooms have gray plush carpeting. The bathrooms, like the kitchens, have new cabinets, white subway tiles, and new faucets and modernized showers. Sliding doors in the living room open up to a small balcony.
Residents must have a key to enter their building. The one- and two-bedroom apartments safely inside the buildings are key coded, meaning they can be opened by punching in a code or by using a key.
The laundry facilities are free. And pets are welcomed.
The west red brick building, the one people see as they drive down Holmes, has blue painted panels, perhaps a nod to the adjacent Blue River. The two apartment buildings to its east have also been painted blue. Those buildings are surrounded by fresh landscaping, and cedar posts have replaced the tired iron rails. A new cedar fence separates the renovated property from a neighboring apartment complex.
In August, when rains surged the Blue River above its banks, the apartments became flooded. It was a rare event. Nevertheless, it added an extra six months to the partners’ renovation project.
Woods says he would like to do something with the empty acre lot that extends west to Holmes Rd. But it is the property of the City Parks Department. Some residents in the area remember the lot being used as a community garden by apartment residents at one time. Perhaps just maybe the idea will catch on….
The location sits back from the busy road enough to feel like it’s in the country. And in a way it is. But close to the trappings of the small town life of Martin City, with its renown restaurants, recreation and quaint shops.
Costs run from $800 to $950 per month, depending on layout. For more information, call Celtic Properties at 913-558-9960 or 913-491-6800.