January 3, 2011
For Immediate Release
MECKLENBURG COUNTY BUYS HALF OF THE DORAL
APARTMENTS AFTER DECADES OF FLOODING
Charlotte, NC – Notorious for devastating floods, a portion of the Doral Apartments has now been
purchased by Mecklenburg County and will be torn down. The Doral complex has 260 apartment units
on 19 acres. The County purchased 128 of those apartments on eight acres of land for $3.1 million.
The Doral Apartments, between Briar Creek and Monroe Road, has flooded six times since 1995 with
damage topping $8 million. Eighty ground-floor apartment units flooded so badly during August 2008
that they were not repaired. Engineering studies in 2005 concluded there were no feasible options to
prevent the apartment complex from repeatedly flooding. The study determined that the most costeffective way to permanently reduce flood losses at Doral was to buy the highest-risk buildings and tear
them down.
The complicated purchase process took several years. In 2008, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water
Services applied for a federal grant to pay about 75% of the cost of buying part of the property and
tearing down affected buildings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the
$3.5 million grant in 2009. In July 2010, the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners approved the
formal purchase agreement which involves more than a million dollars in local Storm Water revenue.
“This buyout has taken a long time but it’s definitely worth it,” says Tim Trautman of Storm Water
Services. “If you add up flood losses over time, the Doral Apartments have the highest dollar amount of
damage in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. It’s actually cheaper for the government to get people and buildings
out of harm’s way than it is to repeatedly issue disaster checks and flood insurance checks after severe
floods.”
Trautman notes that floodplain buyouts also make the community safer. “This project helps reduce our
community’s flood risk. That could mean saving residents’ lives and property. And it reduces the risk
faced by emergency responders during a flood.” Trautman also points out benefits to the community
from additional open space for recreation, temporary flood storage and water quality improvements.
The County is donating various items from the 128 apartments to Habitat for Humanity including
appliances, sinks, windows, doors, cabinets and light fixtures. Demolition of the County-owned section
is expected to begin in the spring of 2011. Asphalt, brick, concrete and carpet removed during
demolition will be recycled.
About half of the Doral complex closest to Monroe Road was not purchased by the County. That section
of the apartment complex is also in the floodplain but as significantly lower flood risk. The current
owner of Doral will decide what to do with the 132 units and more than ten acres of land that remain
under private ownership.
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Total cost: $4.7 million
$3.1 million to purchase the buildings and land
$1.6 million for demolition and tenant relocation
Sources of funding:
Department of Homeland Security/FEMA grant: $3.54 million (75% of total project cost)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water fees: $1.18 million (25% of total project cost)
Eligible Doral residents were given relocation assistance to help with moving expenses and finding a new
place to live. All apartment units purchased by the County were vacant by October 2010.
Benefits of the Doral buyout:
permanently reduce the threat of loss of life or personal property due to flooding
save money on flood insurance claims and emergency response services
provide 8.4 acres of open space for the community
Doral Apartments buyout facts:
Located at 524 Bramlet Road
Built in 1966 before restrictions that limit construction in floodplains
Significant floods in 1995, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010
Of 260 apartment units, 128 were purchased by the County
The 128 units purchased by the County are in 19 buildings on eight acres of land
In 2008, Mecklenburg County used a similar FEMA grant to buy the
Cavalier Apartments across Briar Creek from Doral. The Cavalier
Apartments were torn down and the 13-acre site is now open space.
With the Cavalier site, neighboring Chantilly Park and newlyacquired portion of Doral, the County now owns a 28-acre section of
land along Briar Creek. Possible uses might include floodplain
features such as wetlands to improve water quality in the creek, a
greenway trail or recreational opportunities. Many of the options
depend on available funding.
Since 2000, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services has
purchased nearly 250 flood-prone buildings. As a result, more than
500 families have been moved out of areas at highest risk of
flooding. Buildings acquired through the Floodplain Buyout Program
have been torn down and the floodplain has been returned to a
more natural and beneficial state.
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For additional information contact:
Robert Billings
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
704-432-0907
Green: portion of Doral purchased by Mecklenburg County
Red: former Cavalier Apartments site owned by County
Light purple: County Park and Recreation Dept. property
Light blue: regulated floodplain under private ownership