(Photo by Christina Estes - KJZZ)

Alberta Rotger and Linda Reese discuss the city of Phoenix's plan to sell their apartment complex and move them to other senior housing sites.

Phoenix’s Housing Department wants to sell the city-owned Deck Park Vista, a 56-unit property north of the popular Roosevelt Row Arts District to a developer that would build a large, mixed-income complex.

On Tuesday, Housing Director Cindy Stotler told the Neigbhorhoods, Housing and Development Subcommittee the city will pay to relocate residents.

“We offered to prioritize them in any one of our 13 properties the city owns so they would not have to get on to a waiting list. They could get into whichever property they like,” she said, “And then they could also come back. We offered to prioritize their return and work with the developer when it (the property) returns.”

Some residents expressed concern about being separated from their friends, many of whom they consider family.

“They’re not going to accept 50 people all at once,” said Alberta Rotger who has lived at Deck Park for 23 years. “People are very upset”

The Housing Department had planned to ask the city council to approve advertising the sale before its summer break, but now staff will gather more information and input from neighbors and pitch the plan again this fall.

The Housing Department’s report can be found on page 66 of the meeting agenda.