Revamped Hillview Apartments celebrate today

Rhonda Doney had apprehensions when she moved into Hillview Apartments last year. The place had a reputation for unkempt grounds, poorly kept apartments and a playground not especially appealing to young people.

But she knew that things were changing at Hillview.

Little by little, people were moved out of their apartments into temporary housing while apartments were totally refurbished.

The outside of the buildings were repainted, repaired and improved. The grounds were improved and new playground equipment was installed.

Today, Hillview management and its employees celebrate the successes of the last year with a barbecue, games for the kids and ceremonies officially launching the new Hillview.

State Commerce Department Director Meg O'Leary will speak to the crowd and Gov. Steve Bullock will cut the ribbon marking the next phase of Hillview's development during the program, which starts at 2:30 p.m.

"It's great," Doney said.

"The new apartments are great, the outside is done, the playground for the kids is done," said Doney, who moved to Hillview from Hays. "I'm proud to call this my home."

Karen Burkett, owner of Real Estate Management Strategists of Kalispell, which manages the complex, said tenants she has talked to are overjoyed at the changes.

GMD Development of Seattle and Homeward, a Missoula nonprofit, bought the complex 18 months ago, and launched the rehabilitation effort.

There has been more than cosmetic changes, she said. Some tenants have left, she said, voluntarily or otherwise.

"We have a very strict screening process," she said. People's criminal records are checked and other precautions are taken she said.

Many deserving people need housing, she said, but in the past they have been forced to live in undesirable conditions to guarantee housing for their families.

"We had a lot of people leaving," she said.

The owners got $6 million in tax credits through the Commerce Department to finance the renovations, she said. Tenants get rent subsidies from the federal Department of Urban Development based on their incomes..

There are 62 apartments, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom dwellings, she said.