RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – In July 2024, there was a mass eviction at the Hargrove Apartment complex, where residents were living in deplorable conditions.
According to Beckley Mayor Ryan Neal, a few private investors are now providing major capital to upgrade this property and make it brand new.
A resident loves the idea and said it was just what Hargrove needs.
“This is not a good place right now, but I feel like they could come in and do something really good with it,” said Tara Ratliff.
The idea of turning the Hargrove Apartments into college housing has been floated around.
“It could be for students, professors, anybody who works over at West Virginia Tech,” Neal said. “The people who live on Hargrove Street, don’t you think they’re excited somebody’s coming in and turning what was an absolute eyesore into something that’s going to be magnificent?”
Hargrove Apartments were not condemned, despite despicable living conditions. The new owners plan to breathe life and hope into this distressed Beckley property.
Revamping the building is a huge undertaking; it won’t happen overnight. The mayor says that investment is allowing them to transform the 21 vacant units into apartment rentals.
“I know structurally it is sound as can be. It just needed cleaning out. I mean, you saw the conditions,” he said, adding that Hargrove was unfit for human habitation. “As a city official, this is what we get excited about (turning properties). When I ran for mayor, people were like ‘you need to fix-up uptown.'”
Ratliff says she doesn’t want to see the building torn down, but something’s got to give.
“I have lived here before,” she said. “It’s full of rodents, roaches, bugs, you don’t even want to know.”
West Virginia Tech is within walking distance of the Hargrove Apartments.
“If you were from out of state and sent your kid up here, would you want a rundown, drug-filled apartment with the windows broken out right behind the campus?” said Neal. “Or do you want brand new houses or apartments? That’s what progress is.”
Many look forward to this new chapter for Hargrove, the street, and the area.
“I’m glad the residents are out of it. We kind of stayed to ourselves,” Ratliff said, adding there were shootings, in addition to everything else. “It’s been madness — but I’m so glad to see it’s starting to (turn around).”
