Fairburn-Gordon Apartments will not be demolished despite living conditions, complaints
ATLANTA - The owner of the Fairburn-Gordon Apartments in Atlanta's Adamsville neighborhood says the complex will not be torn down despite what residents have described as horrible living conditions.
A status hearing in Atlanta Municipal Court on Thursday determined A&B Apartments, LLC had made enough progress towards improvements to the building to avoid the threat of demolition.
During the hearing, the landlords' attorney said $500,000 had been spent making improvements to the southwest Atlanta complex. A code enforcement compliance report detailed improvements ranging from painting to lights and garbage and better boarding up of unoccupied apartments.
Still, there are issues with windows, stairs and the apartments' interiors.
"They didn't do nothing but patch stuff up," said tenant, Crystal Brown. "I wanted them to know what we're living in. Put somebody that's some kin to y'all out there and let them live in there. You won't do that."
Following the hearing, several tenants met behind closed doors with the out-of-town owners of the Fairburn-Gordon Apartments and their attorney. It was the tenants' first time meeting their landlords. While Brown said she was glad to finally talk with them, it did not go well.
"It's heartbreaking to know that didn't nobody even care," said Brown. "I was really mad."
She claimed the landlords did not respond when she raised concerns about the current conditions or detailed her declining experience over the past decade living at the complex.
"They didn't say anything?" asked FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Kevyn Stewart.
"Nothing," Brown said. "But kept tapping his lawyer."
Fairburn-Gordon Apartments landlord
One of the owners left the meeting telling reporters he is trying to make repairs for tenants, but has more to go. He was immediately shut down by his attorney.
"No further comment," the attorney said.
The meeting at the Atlanta solicitor's office lasted about 30 minutes. A chance for Crystal Bown to tell the landlords what it was really like to live on these grounds.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has pulled funding for the apartment complex due to the poor conditions and will be relocating those on Section 8, for free, by November 24.
Market rate renters will not be relocated.