From Trailers to Town-homes, One Man Looks to Improve Foley’s South Side

FOLEY -- From run-down mobile homes to brand new townhomes, an old development on the south side of Foley could look very different in the next few years.

Ryan Schmit has owned the Foley Mobile Home Park South development off Gopher Avenue south of the city pool since January. He says, the old trailer park was in need of improvement.

"It was tough, a lot of older, dilapidated homes and it had some rough tenants in it. It was a bad deal that needed to be addressed."

Schmit says he’s looking to add 16 town homes, and that the clean up of the old trailer park is nearly finished.

"It actually has gone well, we had six homes in here when I bought the property, those homes have all been removed, the only thing left is a previous porch and some blocks. Minor stuff that we think can be cleared out within the next week or so."

He says the town homes will be broken into four, four-unit buildings on the two-acre lot. The city recently approved a feasibility study for the property at their council meeting earlier this month.

Schmit says the town homes will be geared to seniors and single families. He adds the town homes will be for sale or rent.

He wants to make the homes "market-rate" either for rent or to buy. He estimates that would make monthly rent or mortgage to be around $1,000 to $1,200.

Schmit hopes to start construction next year.