BRIDGETON — Living conditions at Bridgeport Crossing Apartments, a 300-unit complex here, were so bad that it helped motivate U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to push for the creation of a national slumlord database.
Now, under new ownership, several of the 75 buildings are being gutted and refitted with new appliances and wiring, the kind of investment that low-income housing advocates and frustrated residents have been yearning for.
Bridgeport Crossing was one of 12 large complexes that T.E.H. Realty affiliates purchased in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region since late 2014. The international firm’s failure to maintain the properties and the tenants’ complaints about poor conditions became the subject of numerous news stories.
Most of the properties, each owned by a separate limited liability company, ended up in foreclosure, receivership or scenarios that still are being ironed out, like at Southwest Crossing Apartments in south ºüÀêÊÓƵ and Northwinds Apartments in Ferguson.
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In May, Chesterfield-based ZM Holdings agreed to pay $10 million for Bridgeport Crossing, according to bankruptcy court records. Like T.E.H. Realty, ZM Holdings executives and managers were hesitant to be interviewed. But it was clear by recent spot checks that a new spirit has arrived.
The water worked. The lawn was mowed. And enormous dumpsters were scattered throughout the property, some piled high with old appliances and wallboard. Major electrical work was being done. Air conditioners were being replaced — not with cheap window units and plywood.
“They aren’t going in and painting and throwing in new carpet like they used to,†said Bill, 65, a Bridgeport Crossing resident since 2010 who didn’t want to give his last name. “They are gutting the floors, drywall, the plumbing. Everything is going in brand new.â€
He said “nothing†got done under T.E.H. Realty.
Leticia Alvarado, 30, another resident, repeated the word “awful†when describing attempts to get her heating and air conditioning to work well under previous ownership.
“I have seen a lot of work going on,†said Alvarado, who pays $680 for a 2-bedroom apartment. “Before, the grass would be up to your knee.â€
She’s lived at Bridgeport Crossing about six years. She said she stayed so long because she works in retail and doesn’t have a lot options. And, with three children, ages 3, 5, 13, being in the Pattonville School District is a perk.
The work being done is what low-income housing advocates and residents have been hoping for at almost all of the properties recently owned and run by T.E.H. Realty; however, Bridgeport Crossing appears to be one of the only ones to be rebounding so quickly.
Springwood Apartments, a 271-unit complex in Bel-Ridge, and Rivertrail Apartments, a 129-unit complex in the Baden neighborhood of north ºüÀêÊÓƵ, recently were sold at auction, according to Colliers International, a brokerage firm, but the deals haven’t been finalized.
“We are basically waiting on court approval for the properties to close,†said Greg Russell, the listing broker.
Blue Fountain Apartments, a 52-unit complex in Baden, was purchased off market by a local investor who is expected to do work on the property before putting it back on the market again, Russell said.
Southwest Crossing Apartments, the 328-unit complex in the Carondelet neighborhood of far south ºüÀêÊÓƵ, has been in limbo for months. An affiliate of the Sansone Group was appointed receiver in December, according to a lawsuit filed by Freddie Mac, which secures loans. Work was done to stabilize the property to be sold, but some residents and a human rights attorney say it remains a mess.
Kimberly Danner, 39, a beautician, said her 1-bedroom apartment has mold, mildew, flies and roaches, so many that she sleeps sitting up, in a recliner, with cotton stuffed in her ears.
“I don’t want any bugs to crawl in my ear,†said Danner, who pays $550 a month in rent at Southwest Crossing.
Police frequent the complex. On Tuesday, officers escorted two homeless people out of one of the units while maintenance secured a window with plywood.
Jim Sansone, of the Sansone Group, declined to comment.
Lee Camp, an attorney at Arch City Defenders who represents a Southwest Crossing resident accused of not paying rent, said the receivership case there and other T.E.H. properties “focuses on the debt and not the people.â€
“The law seems to be protecting the banks here, anyone who has a large financial interest in these properties, but the tenants’ concerns don’t seem to be addressed through these processes,†Camp said.
Camp also represents plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit involving living conditions at Northwinds Apartments, the 438-unit complex in Ferguson that has been refurbished with low-income housing tax credits in recent decades. Camp said property management firm Cohen-Esrey recently was appointed receiver of the complex, which he said needs numerous repairs.
“We hope to hear their plan,†Camp said. “I am saddened by the results we have seen at other T.E.H. properties.â€