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Jim Murphy, who bought the Red Top Trailer Park in November 2007, also left the door open to close the park for a development in the future.
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Jim Murphy, right, the owner of Red Top Mobile Home Park, answers a question about the park's future from Lois Hipps, a 35-year resident of Red Top, at a meeting Thursday evening at the park in Winona. Murphy bought the park in November 2007, with plans to turn it into an apartment complex, but his plans have changed, he said. (Photo by Fred Schulze/Winona Daily News) |
“We are not closing the mobile home park at this time,” he said, speaking through a microphoned karaoke machine.
The relief from the 50 neighbors sitting in chairs they brought from home was nearly audible. Rumors have swirled in the park since Murphy took ownership that he had plans to bulldoze the park to make way for a shopping center.
“What about the future?” asked 35-year resident Lois Hipps, who has hosted recent resident meetings in her kitchen, where the park’s inhabitants have discussed their uncertain futures.
“We don’t necessarily know the future,” Murphy said.
Residents have said they’re reluctant to clean up the area, which has a reputation as a rundown neighborhood, because they don’t want to make an investment if Murphy plans to close the park.
He offered initiative for the neighbors to help with additional clean up of the park. If the park is clean and more of an asset to Murphy and his corporation, River Bend Retail LLC, he’ll be more likely to keep it, he said.
Keith Foster, president of the Red Top Resident Association, offered to volunteer as a go-to person when Murphy is not on site. “There are a lot of reasons this park is going downhill,” Foster said. “People are scared. They want to know if they’re going to have a home the next day, tomorrow or a year from now.”
A Minnesota statute requires that any owner of a mobile home park must give a nine-month notice to all residents before changing the use of the land.
Lucy McMartin, the program development director from the city’s community development office, attended the meeting with Winona Mayor Jerry Miller and Alex Hines of the Winona Housing Authority.
She assured residents about the statute and Murphy’s awareness of it. “If there is a change, there will be a notice,” McMartin said. “A public hearing is also required, and we’re doing that ahead of time by being here tonight.”
McMartin said she could help lower-income residents if the park were to close.
For now, though, there’s not much the city can do, said Mayor Jerry Miller, who attested to Murphy’s character. “(The park) is privately owned,” he said. “The city, county and state has nothing to do with it. The best thing to do is work with Mr. Murphy.”
Miller called Murphy a good man, saying he’s approached the situation in an amicable way.
“That’s what we want, too,” Hipps said.
