ST. PAUL, Minn. — Dangerous and disgusting conditions in a St. Paul apartment building draw the attention of the mayor.
Residents of the Lowry Apartments In the city centre they report that they are experiencing mould problems, rodent and cockroach infestations and that elevators have not been working for days.
Needles and feces are in the stairwell and hallways.
“You should see how filthy and dirty it is,” said Bernard Barnett, who has lived in Lowry for more than eight years. “This building is abandoned and the people are abandoned.”
According to Ed Welter, the building’s condition has been deteriorating for years without any improvements being made.
“Management doesn’t seem to be concerned about this building at all,” he said.
St. Paul inspectors revoked the building’s fire safety permit this month due to dozens of building code violations.
The city condemned seven apartments as “unfit for human habitation.”
Mayor Melvin Carter gave a tour of the building on Monday.
“The living conditions that the tenants of Madison Equities live in are some of the most disgusting I have ever seen in my life,” he said.
Madison Equities, the St. Paul real estate company that owns the building, did not respond to WCCO’s multiple requests for comment over the past two weeks.
One of the building managers told WCCO anonymously that he was frustrated because his bosses refused to put money into improvements.
The Lowry house is in foreclosure and will be put up for sale next week.
Carter says that’s not fast enough. The city will ask a judge on Tuesday to place the building under emergency management.
“They’re not off the hook,” Carter said. “They’re responsible. I’m not a lawyer, but that should be a crime as far as I’m concerned, because it’s just disgusting.”
Carter says he is demanding a plan from Madison Equities to relocate everyone living in Lowry.
David Schuman
