WM completes demolition of Mayfair complex

WM completes demolition of Mayfair complex

Clearing of blighted property ‘ a long time coming,’ says mayor

news@theeveningtimes.com

“We’ve put a lien on it,” said Mayor Bill Johnson.

Word that demolition completed on the condemned Mayfair Apartments was announced by the mayor during a work session just prior to the July 21 City Council meeting.

“So we’re put a lien on the property in case somebody sells it they’ll at least have to come by us to satisfy it,” said Johnson.

The cost to tear the blighted buildings down to the slabs and clean out the lot tallied $162,000.

“It has been a long time coming,” said Johnson.

“I’m glad to see it. We won’t get our money right away but at least it is cleaned up.”

The Mayfair matter made it as the first resolution on the agenda. The mayor expounded in council chambers for the gallery of two dozen on hand for business. He explained how the city might recoup the demolition

expense.

“At long last, after ten years of wrangling and embarrassment, the chapter on the Mayfair apartments is closed,” said Johnson. “We elected to tear them down, to make a vacant lot. The lien being placed on the property is so if it is sold we will have the opportunity to collect the money. It doesn’t mean we will get it all, but we would be in line to be paid.”

Johnson recapped the reasoning to condemn the apartment complex and undertake the demolition work.

“Those apartments had been a nuisance and an eyesore

for 10-15 years” said

Johnson.

Problems with the living conditions and financial management at the apartment complex mounted and became the source of complaints to many agencies from tenants and neighbors around East Barton and McAuley. Ownership and partnerships changed so frequently it was difficult at many points to even say who was responsible for the blight.

At least two companies approached the city with white knight proposals to redevelop the complex. But after a decade struggling with the issues present at Mayfair, city council rejected the final proposal and condemned the property last summer.

The building were ordered razed to the slabs.

“It’s now over,” said Johnson. “It’s now over as a hindrance to the development in the city.”

Ward 4 Councilman Marco McClendon wondered about ongoing maintenance of the grass in the now vacant lot in his precinct. The alderman did not want the lot to be neglected as it had before the city moved to condemn the property.

“Is it possible that we spray the grass?” asked McClendon.

“We have to be careful on spraying grass because we got into trouble many years ago about the poison that runs off on someone else’s property,” said Johnson. “It creates a problem. So we stopped doing that because of damage we were doing to adjacent property. We’ll have to continue to cut it to avoid the liability involved.”

By John Rech