Apartments Rise From Quake-Ravaged Ruins

Still in mourning, Shannon Gilchrist returned to the spot where the earth cracked open in the predawn chill of Jan. 17, 1994, where her apartment complex collapsed under the force of a magnitude 6.7 temblor.

The destruction and the 16 deaths inside the Northridge Meadows apartment complex became a national symbol of the Northridge earthquake. But rebirth rose from the Reseda Boulevard ruins Thursday as the new Parc Ridge Apartments complex was dedicated.

Gilchrist--who escaped by leaping from a third-floor balcony--came back, her interest in the project piqued by painful memories of those who didn’t walk away.

While Mayor Richard Riordan and other officials hailed the $16.8-million housing complex as part of the final chapter of the Northridge quake recovery, Gilchrist wiped away tears and explained that the wounds of those who lived at Northridge Meadows will never heal.

“Being back here, I can see all the faces again,” said Gilchrist, 26, who now lives in Santa Clarita. “There’s never closure with something like that. How can there be any closure knowing people died?”

Parc Ridge represents one of the most significant efforts to rebuild quake-damaged property in partnership with the private sector. The 158-unit complex was funded by the Los Angeles Housing Department and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and developed by two private firms, the Northridge Redevelopment Group and Structure Redevelopment Group.

The units range from studios to three bedrooms and rents will run from $650 to $1,150 monthly.

Sixty-three units have been set aside for moderate-income families, defined as earning about $30,000 annually for a family of four.

At the dedication, Riordan called Parc Ridge a monument to the “unbeatable spirit of Los Angeles.”

“At 4:31 a.m., Jan. 17, 1994, the biggest natural disaster in our history took place. It took 16 Angelenos who we dearly miss,” he said. “Today, we celebrate the rebirth of this site.”

Though some shuddered at the thought of living near the epicenter of the Northridge quake, Martin Zweben, a spokesman for the development team, said 45 units have been leased at the cheery, pastel-colored complex.

Bob Kleiman, president of Structure, emphasized that Parc Ridge was designed to incorporate the strict seismic building requirements put into effect after the quake.

“The steel is thicker, the concrete is stronger, the framing is doubled. Every structural component is stronger than ever,” he said.

Gilchrist, who had expected to find a complex similar to the blocky, early ‘70s Northridge Meadows design, was impressed by the building’s trendy look. Several others at the dedication marveled at the tree-lined courtyard, pool and Jacuzzi.

Gilchrist said she returned hoping to meet an old friend named Lisa with whom she had lost contact since the quake. She also hoped that others would not be steered away from living in Northridge because of the quake.

“If I had it to do all over, I would still live in Northridge,” she said. “The neighbors I had here were some of the best people I’ve ever known.”