For many years the west side of Gloucester City – which in 1921 was bustling with families of factory workers in row homes close to the Delaware River – has been falling into a bit of disrepair.
But, thanks to the efforts of the local government and hard work by contractors and property managers, the housing stock is improving – enticing new renters and homeowners to move into the centrally-located town.
The Terra Vestra Company, owned by Mike Bonadies and Drew Side, has just completely renovated a home at 326 Morris St. in the effort to improve the west side.
“Gloucester City is a great community with a lot of poten- tial. It is close to all transportation hubs,” said Bonadies, a 2009 graduate of Timber Creek High School in Sicklerville. “I love South Jersey. It is a fantastic place to be a landlord.”
He compared the west side to the situation in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, New York City.
“From that neighborhood, you could see Manhattan. From Gloucester City, you can see Philadelphia. Some 15 years ago, DUMBO was not a great area. The properties were not well kept. But now, it is one of the most beautiful and desirable areas of Brooklyn,” Bonadies said.
“When I was getting started in Gloucester City, no one would flip a house on the west side. We just sold a house on Hudson Street to homeowners,” he said.
During a socially distanced tour of the home on Morris Street last week, Bonadies was proud of the kitchen – sparkling clean with a new refrigerator, range and microwave oven.
“We put in 240 volt electric- ity and hydronic baseboard heat. We put new tiles in the bathroom, vinyl flooring in the living room and the two bedrooms. We took what was here and turned it into a good rental,” he said.
Bonadies admitted that 2020 has been a difficult year for property managers, but he looks forward to 2021.
“We are hopeful everyone starts to acclimate to life with COVID, and the vaccines bring things back to normal,” he said. “And, we are excited to keep improving the housing stock on the west side of Gloucester City.”
For information about Terra Vestra, email mbonadies@tvpm.info.
