Murphy – A cloudburst kept dignitaries from their shovels in December 2023 during the ground-breaking ceremony for Valley River Apartments, and a burst of tears punctuating the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning.
Kayleigh and Caleb Allen were married in September and are only a few weeks from delivering their first child, a son. Kayleigh works at a downtown restaurant, while Caleb is a Murphy police officer.
As new tenants, they fit the mold of the apartment complex’s target market – young families with local jobs that might not pay enough for them to have a nice place to live locally.
The 56-unit affordable apartment complex offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with rents based on income and ranging from $463 to $780 per month. The two- and three-bedroom units include two bathrooms.
Caleb was supposed to be at the ceremony Friday, but he was called away in the line of duty. Recalling her family’s history during Friday’s ribbon cutting, Kayleigh broke out in tears.
“Where we’ve been was not ideal to raise a child,” she said. “This is a blessing – we can’t thank you enough for this opportunity. I can’t wait to do the nursery.”
Amenities include wood cabinetry, luxury vinyl tile floors, large floor plans with generous closet space, ceiling fans, hookups for washers and dryers, and outside storage lockers. Water, sewer and trash/recycling are included with the rent.
Community amenities include a laundry facility, gazebo, covered picnic area with grills, a resident clubhouse, playground and computer stations.
Successful applicants must earn 40-60% of the median income for the Town of Murphy. Applications will be accepted about 90 days before completion. No pets are allowed.
The one-bedroom, one-bathroom units will be 806 square feet; two-bedroom, two-bathroom units will be 1,053 square feet; and three-bedroom, two-bathroom units will be 1,213 square feet.
Income restrictions apply and 12-month leases are required. There is a waiting list. There is a $30 non-refundable application fee and credit, criminal and previous rental history will be checked.
A security deposit of one month’s rent is required. Raleigh-based Mills Construction Co. of S.C. Inc. is the general contractor.
Funding for the project came from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency Tax Credits, Dogwood Health Trust, Churchill Stateside Group and CAHEC Capital Inc., a nonprofit financial institution that promotes community development.
Additional funding comes from a Community Development Block Grant obtained by the Town of Murphy. The price tag for the project was put at $9.5 million.
The developer of the project is Western North Carolina Housing Partnership, a 501(c)(3) that is known for high-quality apartments built to market rate standards. It partners with state, regional and local agencies to develop affordable senior and workforce housing.
Joy Strassel, executive director of the housing partnership, had her own challenges bookending the project. She was in a traffic accident on her way to Murphy for her initial visit in 2019, and she lost her home to a landslide during Hurricane Helene just as the Murphy project was nearing completion in 2024.
Strassel said Valley River Apartments has become the housing partnership’s flagship property. Her organization is now looking at building a senior citizens complex in Murphy.
The project was spearheaded by the Murphy Town Council under then-mayor Rick Ramsey and brought to completion under the present town council under Mayor Tim Radford.
The apartment complex is behind the Walmart Supercenter, with access via a meandering path through the shopping center’s parking lot. The private road was named Rick Ramsey Street after the former mayor. It was supposed to be a surprise, but the N.C. Department of Transportation installed the sign early, Radford said.
Radford said Valley River Apartments will help stabilize the local workforce, reduce employee turnover, and provide better customer service and more reliable business operations.
“This is a real commitment to meeting local needs,” he said.
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