Residents of the Memorial Club apartments at 955 Westcott St. now have 5 months left to beat it from the complex in order to make way for a new residential building that’s set to rise in its place. According to a letter that landlord Greystar sent out on June 11, the deadline to vacate is December 31. Up until then, the company “is engaging a relocation specialist” to assist tenants with their moves.
The photo at top shows the apartment’s yard sign, with an arrow (since covered up) pointing across Westcott to where its leasing office once sat within the demolished eastern portion of the complex. Greystar tore that section down in 2014, about a year after buying both halves of the complex and announcing a 2-phase redevelopment plan for the land, to include 550 units spread across a pair of buildings.
297 of them are already housed across the street in the 6-story Elan Memorial Park building — pictured below — that the developer put up in 2016:
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- Previously on Swamplot: Crews Have Begun Clubbing the Memorial Club Apartments by the Washington Roundabout; New Apartments Facing Washington Ave Roundabout Will Have Retail on the Ground Floor and Maybe a Trader Joe’s; A Trader Joe’s Coming to Washington Ave.?
Photos: Laura A. (courtyard); Memorial Club (sign); Elan Memorial Park (Elan building)
the hyped trader joes never materialized.
Gentrification anyone?
Shame I used to live there, way back when Washington/Douchington avenue was still pretty industrial and rent was very affordable. Miss the location and spacious albeit odd apartment, had some wild times at the pool.
I used to be a leasing agent and then a manager at this property 20 odd years ago. There weren’t all the super fancy complexes inside the loop back then, and despite few amenities, it could attract a good resident profile. We always had no outstanding rents by the 5th of every month, which is rare on 350+ unit properties, (it was both sides of the street back then). Of course a lot of people were hesitant to lease there because it bordered on what was considered by many as a sketchy neighborhood back then, Rice Military.
It is a shame,,the residents are extremely upset. These apartments are well loved and is perfect for those that are tired of the high rise living expenses: in other words, paying for the frills and hotel like atmosphere.
Memorial Club with some fixing up, could bring in Grey Star a lot of money. It is always full and people clamor to move in there as is in a perfect location. We are hoping Grey Star changes there mind..people are wanting to get back to apartment living. Memorial Club is the perfect place to live..quiet, great staff. Grey Star does no always seem to use good judgement, and this would be one of the cases. This is a charming apartment complex with a great on site management team..As the saying goes, Grey Star: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Greystar is a very deceitful compAny. In house management aS superb..they lived here, too. But the higher mNagement lied and lied to the tenants from the moment the purchased Memorial Club. They charged high rent in apts that they knew needed renovation. They even told residents after Harvey even though approx 30 units were damaged that they would remain open until Dec 2019. That is the only reAson many renewed leade…they even went up on rent for some of us! A source told me and warned me around September 2017 they would be tearing down earlier then December 2019 and they were right. We were suddenly told in June of July of 2018 wE all had to be out by December 31 2018. All the lies they told the Chronicle and Swamp Plot to put Greystar in a good light were just thT…lies. The powers th t be on Bering just care about money and integrity means nothing to them. In house management that lived on property was superb…Bering Execs dumped it all on them. I would never love on a Greystar Property…they lie and are not honest. All one has to do is get on the internet and see the horrendous ratings they have from all over the US…from student housing to High Rises. They are not known for taking care of their properties or their tenants or properties.I am glad to be gone though lived there 17 years..the lies that started when Greystar bought Memorial Club was very stressful and upsetting to the tenants