Apartment residents in downtown St. Louis are becoming increasingly frustrated as they report an increasing number of issues.
The management team has indicated that they are working to resolve all of the problems that they are aware of.
ST. LOUIS — The residents of an apartment complex in the downtown area are becoming increasingly frustrated.
Two different families who live in the Arcade Apartments on Olive Street have reported to 5 On Your Side that infrastructure issues have caused their items to be damaged and have created potential safety dangers.
According to Tawana Colbert, one of the issues is the fact that the outer doors do not always close.
Colbert stated that one of his goals was to “be able to come home and feel that I’m safe here.”
She stated that uninvited visitors and individuals living on the streets frequently entered the building. Her bathroom was flooded in November as a result of a pipe that burst in another part of the building.
Colbert remarked that there were instances when it was cause for alarm. “I have no idea when something else will take place,” the speaker said.
5 On Your Side was told that units all over the building have issues with the building’s infrastructure.
Latrice Commons stated that residents are without heat, that electrical outlets are broken, and that there are problems with the lighting system. This past Monday morning, there was a fire that started in her daughter’s closet.
Commons stated, “I opened that door, and it was all smoke and water, just rushing (out).”
Already, it’s been a challenging couple of months here. According to Commons, her daughter was one of the pupils who was present at Central VPA High School when a horrific school shooting occurred there.
And as a consequence of the fire, the majority of the possessions that belonged to her family have either been damaged or destroyed.
It’s right around the holiday season. This leaves us in a position where we have nothing,” the mother remarked.
Since the incident with the fire, Ms. Commons has stated that her residence has been broken into many times. She once discovered a woman breaking into her flat while she was there.
Both of these women are aware that occurrences of problems and concerns are inevitable; what they require is for management to effectively communicate with them and respond to problems and concerns when they arise.
Fix things, be responsive to renters’ communications, and pay attention to what they have to say, said Commons.
Colbert remarked, “I love being here because I’m so close to all of the freeways.” “Just do the necessary repairs, that’s all. If you are unable to resolve the issue, please explain what is occurring. Please stop ignoring us and lying to us and stop doing so immediately.
This next weekend, the tenants will get together to discuss the next steps that need to be taken.
In response to the concerns lodged by residents, the management team of the apartment complex issued the following statement:
“Dominium is aware of a few separate maintenance incidents that have recently taken place at Arcade Apartments. These incidents are not related to one another. Our residents are very important to us, and we are grateful that they continue to be patient with us as we work through the difficulties that come with maintaining an older facility while also ensuring that we have open lines of communication with all of our residents.
“Recently, as a result of a broken valve, flooding occurred in several units; nevertheless, after our team had worked through the night to address the problem, we were successful in finding a solution.
“A minor fire that started in a resident’s bag spread to many units, but owing to the prompt response of the fire service, none of the inhabitants were required to vacate their homes during the incident. That evening, our property manager came there to meet with all of our residents who had been affected by the incident.
We are hard at work trying to fix the damaged heat pumps that are the source of the heating problems in twenty flats. We have searched the country thoroughly, but to no avail, in an attempt to track down the components necessary for the pumps’ repairs. We are currently working with an engineer to come up with a more permanent solution. In the meanwhile, we have provided radiant heating to all of the affected households, and we are monitoring the temperatures in the afflicted units, which have not dropped below 70 degrees.
“Neither our on-site property managers nor our security staff, which is available around the clock, have been made aware of any reports of break-ins or of non-occupants living on the property.
“We respect our people’ cooperation as we seek to keep our community a safe and comfortable environment that they can be proud to call home. We apologize to our residents for any difficulty this may cause, and we thank them for their understanding.”
Author: STL 420 News
