First Wave of Garten Haus Apartment Tenants Move to the Marriott for Renovations

The first wave of Garten Haus residents will be relocated to the Marriott Hotel in Wenatchee on June 9, as the Chelan County Housing Authority and the City of Wenatchee (CCWHA) and Walker Construction work on rehabilitating the 32 existing units and adding eight additional units for low-income housing. 

The project includes the installation of new kitchen cabinets and flooring, along with remodeled bathrooms.They have already finished renovating the outdoor patios and decks, as well as installing new windows and doors.

CCWHA bought Garten Haus back in 1998. Construction work began shortly after the CCWHA finalized their contract with them on May 25, 2021. Walker Construction received $7,147,586 for the Garten Haus project. 

According to a public hearing notice from Feb. 10, 2021, the total project cost was originally estimated to be $13,743,117, with $8 million in bonds. The project was initially set to be finished by June 1, 2022. However, issues with the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction strike, and the cement strike have delayed the project. Now the project is expected to be finished by September of 2022. 

Since the beginning of this project, tenants have remarked on the rapid decline in communication from Housing Authority representatives. Shawnee McCartor is a tenant of Garten Haus Apartments who states that there has been “misinformation on the process years before [construction] started. This does not include the impact of COVID-19, the statewide construction strike, and the cement strike.”

Due to multiple distressed calls from tenants regarding fire exit accessibility during construction, Leavenworth Fire Chief Dave Nalle and City of Leavenworth Building Official Mark Barnes conducted a code inspection on Garten Haus Apartments back in March of 2022.

On March 9, 2022, Both Barnes and Nalle threatened to issue a Notice and Order if the Housing Authority decided to go forward with eliminating a side exit or main accessible egress between occupants and the construction zone. This proposed elimination would have broken the International Building Code, International Fire Code, and the Leavenworth Municipal Code. 

This inspection is what led the Housing Authority to relocate tenants to the Marriott hotel in Wenatchee, due to the fact that an occupied renovation was no longer safe or viable. 

Tenants would be moved in two waves, the first wave of tenants would be relocated on June 9 and return by July 13, 2022. Dates for the second wave have not been confirmed at this time.

Daily stipends will be issued for all tenants, which would include extra moving costs and meals. The stipend will be higher for tenants who decide to stay with family rather than the Marriott hotel. 

Due to the CCWHA’s Relocation Policy, they are required to accomodate for moving costs, moving live-in aids, equipment, and provide meals for those who are unable to cook for themselves. Tenants will leave their belongings in a separate location through the services of Vootbox Inc.