THE HOME DID GET OUT SAFELY. WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR MORE
DETAILS. WE ARE WAITING TO
HEAR BACK.
>> AN UPDATE TO A NEWS. 4 JAX.
I TEAM INVESTIGATION THAT
YEARS IN THE MAKING A
JACKSONVILLE NONPROFIT AND A
DEVELOPER PLAN TO BUY AND
RENOVATE 2 TROUBLED APARTMENT
COMPLEXES ON THE EAST SIDE.
>> THE I TEAM FIRST EXPOSED
THEM BACK IN 2021. FOR
UNSANITARY AND UNSAFE
CONDITIONS. THE EASTSIDE
TERRACE AND EASTSIDE GARDENS
APARTMENTS ARE PRIVATELY
OWNED, BUT MANY RESIDENTS GET
FREE OR REDUCED RENT FROM HUD.
BOTH COMPLEXES ARE ABOUT A
MILE NORTH OF TIA BANK FIELD
IN THE SPORTS COMPLEX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR VIC MICOLUCCI
SAYS THERE’S A MULTIMILLION
DOLLAR DEAL IN THE WORKS.
>> WE HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
AT THE EASTSIDE TERRACE AND
GARDENS APARTMENTS OVER THE
PAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE’VE SEEN
THE BAD CONDITIONS, TRASH
RODENTS, MOLD JUST TO NAME A
FEW OF THE PROBLEMS. NOW, A
LOCAL NONPROFIT AND A
DEVELOPER HAVE PLANS TO BUY
THE COMPLEX AND OVERHAUL IT.
AND THE CURRENT OWNER WHO’S
BEEN CALLED A SLUMLORD
EXPLAINS WHY HE DID NOT KEEP
UP WITH THE MAINTENANCE. BUT
SEE WHAT WE’VE GOT. WHEN WE
FIRST VISITED THE PROPERTY IN
2021, WE FOUND SOME RESIDENTS
IN NEARLY UNLIVABLE
CONDITIONS.
>> TRASH PILING UP RATS
RUNNING IN AND OUT OF THE TALL
GRASS ON THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY
INSIDE. THERE WERE PROBLEMS
WITH ROACHES AND MOLD. MIRIAM
PATTON HAS LIVED HERE ON AND
OFF SINCE THE 1970’S STARTING
WHEN SHE WAS JUST 10 YEARS
OLD. SHE’S SEEN A LOT OF UPS
AND DOWNS. WHAT KIND OF
CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN OVER THE
YEARS? WE’VE HAD PEOPLE THAT
COME SAY THEY WANT TO REDO
THESE APARTMENTS.
>> THEY COME FOR A WHILE AND
MAKES WE KNOW THEY’RE SOME
SOMEBODY ELSE IS LOOKING SHE
IS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT
A CHANGE THAT COULD BE COMING.
>> THE NONPROFIT LIFT JAX AND
A PRIVATE DEVELOPER HAVE PLANS
TO BUY THE TROUBLED COMPLEXES
AND RENOVATE THEM FROM TOP TO
BOTTOM. THE PURCHASE PRICE IS
6.2 MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY
HOPE TO FINALIZE THE SALE IN
AUGUST. WE’VE BEEN FOCUSED ON
THESE FOR 2 TO 3 YEARS IN
TERMS OF THE UNSANITARY LIVING
CONDITIONS, THE LACK OF
SAFETY.
>> CORE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
LIFT JAX PRESIDENT DAVID
GARFUNKEL SAYS IT’S PART OF A
BIGGER PLAN TO REVITALIZE THE
NEIGHBORHOOD WITH EDUCATION,
INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOBS. HIS
GROUP ALREADY BUILT A NEW
PLAYGROUND ACROSS THE STREET.
AND RIGHT NOW IS REDOING THE
HISTORIC DEB STORE. IT WILL BE
A GROCERY STORE WITH FRESH
PRODUCE AND MEATS. WHAT
HAPPENS TO THE RESIDENTS WHERE
THEY GO WHEN THEIR UNIT IS
BEING RENOVATED IN THE EVENT
THAT WE NEED TO DO A
SIGNIFICANT REHAB TO A UNIT
THAT OCCUR RESIDENTS AND HOLD
THE FIRST IS FIX UP ANOTHER
UNIT AND MOVE THAT FAMILY INTO
THAT UNIT WHILE WE REPAIR
THEIR UNIT. AMERICAN HOUSING
ENTERPRISES HAS OWNED THE
SISTER PROPERTIES FOR 2
DECADES. SENATOR MARCO RUBIO
TOOK AIM AT THE COMPANY AS WE
WERE REPORTING ON THE PROBLEMS
IN 2021.
>> TELLING THE I TEAM THE
OWNER WAS A QUOTE, SLUMLORD
ANDREW PADRE CALLS THAT
DEFAMATION. I LOST MILLIONS IN
THIS ENDEAVOR BECAUSE PART OF
THE SET UP THAT COMES FROM.
>> A PAINTING ME AS A SLUM
LORD, IF YOU WILL, IN THIS
PARTICULAR CASE, REMEMBER ONE
OF THE TERMS OF OUR SETTLEMENT
IS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO
QUICKLY. THE I TEAM REPORTED
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FIND
PADRES COMPANY $600,000 FOR
THE VIOLATIONS. HE AGREED TO A
SETTLEMENT WITH HUD TO SELL
THE PROPERTIES FOR A MUCH
SMALLER, FINE AND HE WON’T
COMPLEX FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS.
HE CLAIMS THE FEDERAL AGENCY
DID NOT PROVIDE HIM WITH
ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP UP WITH
THE AGING BUILDINGS. HE SHOWED
US HIS RECORDS DOCUMENTING A
LOSS OF MORE THAN $540,000
LAST YEAR. THAT IS MIND YOU
WITH THE MORTGAGE PAID OFF. WE
HEAR THIS A LOOK AT THAT
SLUMLORD. THEY’RE JUST RAKING
IN THE BIG BUCKS. THEY’RE NOT
PUTTING ANY MONEY BACK INTO
THE COMPLEX. YOU CAN ONLY
ABSORB SO MANY ONE PERCENT
INCREASES PER YEAR WHILE REAL
INFLATION IS TAKING A LONG 4,
5%, OR MORE RECENTLY, EVEN AS
OVERTIME KNOW YOU START TO
LOSE MONEY. THE CONTRACT IS
NOW IN THE HANDS OF FEDERAL
OFFICIALS WITH HUD. THEY WILL
MAKE THE DECISION TO APPROVE
OR DENY THIS DEAL.
>> IF THERE IS AN APPROVAL
BOTH THE SELLER AND THE BUYER
TELL ME THEY’RE READY TO MAKE
IT OFFICIAL. THINK COLOR
CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
WE REACHED OUT SENATOR MARCO