SOUTH BAY — A company called South Bay 1050 LLC has been working to repair and revitalize 42 apartments in a two-building development at 1150 and 1180 W. Palm Beach Road that had been a thorn in the city’s side for the past few years.

John Macropoulos, one of the partners in the limited-liability corporation, said they will have a grand opening for the first 42 units in what they call the larger of the two, the “U Building,” whose official name will be Lake Sunset Apartments — probably shortly after the start of new year 2021.

Meanwhile, as finishing touches are being put on those units, building plans are being finalized for the 14 units in the ‘I Building,’ address 1190 W. Palm Beach Road, and adjacent to the U Building.

Macropoulos said his company had already had permission as long as ago as last year from the City of South Bay to do emergency repairs on the buildings, of some conditions that he and his partners had inherited from the previous owner. But the city commission only had given them the official go-ahead on their architectural plans for major renovations on March 12 of this year.

The next day was when the first of the eventually nationwide lockdowns began due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which complicated things for the company, he stated.

“That was really the point that hurt us. We had emergency permission from the city to do repairs prior to that, so we were not able to do the heavy lifting” until afterward, but they have been able to get most of it done in the past nine months on the U Building so leasing could begin.

“COVID-19 unquestionably delayed the completion of our project,” Macropoulos said. “Despite all the challenges including those thrust upon us by the pandemic, our team’s resolute commitment, coupled with the steadfast determination of city officials, has finally made this project a reality for the residents of the city of South Bay. Notably, the open communication channels and regular assistance from City Manager Leondrae Camel and Building Official Judson Dulany proved to be an invaluable resource, expediting the process for the benefit of the community. Mayor Joe Kyles was an instrumental leader in establishing key relationships in the community, including introduction to local employer and employees who assisted us in completion of the project.”

He said Camel also was a tremendous help to him in that aspect, as well.

Noting that when he first met with city officials about the project, “the first thing they said to me was, ‘We’ll roll out the red carpet for you, we’ll invite you into our town and open all the doors for you.’ But, ‘Say what you do, and do what you say’ — those were Camel’s words to me.”

Macropoulos went on, “We unfortunately inherited this property along with a lot of ... misinformation, from a prior owner, which still continues to reveals itself. More stuff continues to be revealed every day,” such as somehow transferring his Comcast accounts, which were in arrears, to the current company without its knowledge or consent, he said.

“The building, when we got it — there was a lack of trust, because of the lying misinformation that the previous owner had with the city officials, City Manager Camel and Building Official Dulany.”

He said they explained to the partners why there was “a level of distrust with this property and an uphill battle we faced,” which was that the previous owner “had made misrepresentations” to the city.

From then on, he said Camel has told him, “‘You’re the first person that’s walked into this office and literally has done everything he said he was gonna do. And as a result, I’ve done more than I expected I would ever do with you guys’ — including removal of violations, fast-tracking, introducing me to people from other community development programs. He opened up a lot of doors quickly,” Macropoulos said, calling it almost magical how much the city had welcomed South Bay 1050 LLC.

He said he wanted to add: “We aim to collaborate with the local municipalities and communities toward solutions that will bring a new wind into the community, focusing on children and families. We would like to contribute to the developments of projects such as playgrounds, parks, recreational facilities and others to build a true living space and more than just housing. All members/owners of our company come from humble origins, raised in small towns, and understand the importance of well-rounded communities that provide children the opportunity to advance.”