Residents at a once swanky Central New York apartment complex have said they’re fed up after living for months without hot water, in filthy and unsafe conditions.
This week, Syracuse has taken their complaints to New York’s highest court.
The Nob Hill Apartments sit high on a hill overlooking Syracuse’s south side, and advertises itself as the “largest apartment communities in Central New York.”
“This is a complex that for many years was a very desirable place to live,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, “and unfortunately under current ownership it has fallen into disrepair.”
The six story, 760 unit complex built in 1970 was a beacon when it opened, with park-like playgrounds and private garages.
Every neighbor asked, told WAER that Nob Hill was once an ideal place to live.
“It was absolutely beautiful,” said Tracy Mac, who remembered her first visit to the complex, “You’d walk into the fourier and it looked like a hotel.”
That was two years ago. In late April, a drive through the parking lot revealed uncontained trash piled high along the building's exterior doors, smashed in car windows, and club locks on steering wheels. City Police Chief Joseph Cecile confirmed it’s a known nuisance.
“There have been robberies, there's been assaults and I can't give you the numbers off hand,” he said, “but we had a string of robberies that were occurring. I think it was last summer.”
Residents, like Mac, said it’s only gotten worse.
“It's just been going downhill. It's been 3 different managements over the last two years. Every time they change management,” she lamented, “it gets worse, it gets worse and worse.”
This week, Mayor Walsh announced the city is taking the owner to New York’s State Supreme Court. WAER tried to talk with Nob Hill apartment managers, they referred us to the Mayflower Management Group in Dallas. So far, no one has responded.
“Can't tell you how frustrating it is that we continue to have challenges with these property owners,” Walsh said, referring to Nob Hill and the dilapidated Skyline Apartments across town.
Earlier this month, Walsh filed a complaint with the State Supreme Court against Skyline’s owners Clear Investment Group. This week, he served a second complaint with the court against Mayflower Managment Group.
“I think our record is clear,” he said, “we are not going to tolerate slumlords in our town.”
The city petitioned to enforce code violations that, to date, add up to $340,000, and $100 every day they go ignored.
