>> FROM LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. ♪
NEWSFOURJAX. ♪ >> RIGHT NOW, IT’S 6 O’CLOCK
EMERGENCY ACTION IN RESPONSE
NEWS, 4 JAX, I TEAM
INVESTIGATION OF DESPICABLE
LIVING CONDITIONS AT GRAND
PARK APARTMENT COMMUNITY.
MAYOR JOINED OTHER CITY
LEADERS AND 100 PRESENTED AT
CASCADE APARTMENTS, FORMERLY
KNOWN AS KINGS RIDGE
APARTMENTS ON WEST 13TH STREET
THIS AFTERNOON.
>> THEIR VISIT WAS PROMPTED BY
OUR I TEAM INVESTIGATION. WE
BROUGHT YOU YESTERDAY AT 5
EXPOSING MOLD TEST STRUCTURAL
PROBLEMS. RESIDENTS SAY THEY
ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE RESPONSE.
>> PEOPLE COME TO MY DOOR LAST
NIGHT. AND OR TELL THANK YOU.
LIKE I KEEP TELLING THEM YOU
DO THINK FOR ME FOR EVERYBODY
OUT HERE. IT IS PEOPLE CANNOT
SPEAK FOR OURSELVES.
>> NEWS 4 JAX. I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR VIC MICOLUCCI
TELLS US THE MAYOR AND CITY
LEADERS, THEY WERE APPALLED BY
WHAT THEY FOUND. THE LIVING
CONDITIONS. THERE HAVE ALSO
CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO.
>> RESIDENTS TOOK US INSIDE
THEIR APARTMENTS TO SHOW US
JUST SOME OF THE PROBLEMS MY
LITTLE. APRIL SIZEMORE SAYS
BLACK MOLD SURROUNDS HER
KITCHEN. THE COUNTERTOP IS
COLLAPSING ONTO THE HOT WATER
HEATER. BUGS, FLY AND CRAWL
ABOUT AS SHE TRIES TO RAISE 2
CHILDREN. ANOTHER RESIDENT
ERIC JACKSON SAYS THE AIR
CONDITIONING IN HIS FAMILY’S
APARTMENT WAS BROKEN SO LONG
HE PAID OUT OF POCKET FOR
THESE SMALL WINDOW UNITS. WE
FOUND ISSUES INSIDE AND OUT.
SO DID CITY CODE INSPECTORS
THIS MORNING AFTER WE REPORTED
THESE PROBLEMS, JACKSONVILLE
MAYOR DONNA DEEGAN AND CITY
LEADERS HELD AN EMERGENCY
MEETING ABOUT THE PROPERTY
THIS AFTERNOON. THEY PAID A
VISIT. THEY MET WITH THE
MANAGERS AND SPOKE OVER THE
PHONE WITH THE OWNER WHO
BOUGHT THE COMPLEX LAST YEAR.
SOME PEOPLE AT THE APARTMENTS
GET GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE TO
HELP PAY RENT, OTHERS PAY RENT
ON THEIR OWN. HE SUGGESTED
SINCE HE TOOK OVER THE
PROPERTY AND SAYS THEY HAVE
TAKEN OVER THE PROPERTY,
THEY’VE MADE A LOT OF
IMPROVEMENTS. THERE ARE A LOT
OF THINGS. THEY WERE EITHER
UNAWARE OF OR THIS HAVEN’T
TAKEN CARE OF BUT WE HAVE
EXPRESSED TO HIM.
>> IS THAT WE’RE GOING TO
FOLLOW UP. WE WANT HIM TO
EXAMINE EVERY IN IN THIS
COMPLEX, MAKE A LOT OF WHAT
THE ISSUES ARE IN EACH UNIT
AND AND THEN GIVE US AN ACTION
PLAN FOR HOW THAT’S GOING TO
BE ADDRESSED. THE COMPLEX IS
NOW IN CITY COUNCILWOMAN
JU’COBY PITTMAN’S DISTRICT.
SHE SAYS.
>> IT’S ACCEPTABLE. I’M JUST
SO GLAD THAT WJXT.
>> ROLLED OUT THE STORY. SO
THE COMMUNITY COULD HEAR IT.
YOU KNOW, NOW YOU HAVE
RESIDENTS WHO FEEL EMPOWERED
AND THAT THEY FORCES MATTER.
AND SO WE WANT TO LET THEM
KNOW WE HEAR YOU. WE GOT A
BRAIN, THE SUPPORT THAT YOU
NEED IN ORDER FOR IT. YOU
OUGHT TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO
LIVE.
>> U.S. SENATOR MARCO RUBIO
SENT US HIS REACTION. HE TOLD
US MEMBERS OF MY STAFF
RECENTLY VISITED CASCADE
APARTMENT IN JACKSONVILLE.
THEY FOUND THE CONDITIONS TO
BE DISGUSTING AND DEPLORABLE.
THESE RESIDENTS DESERVE
BETTER. HE WENT ON TO SAY I’M
CALLING ON THE MANAGEMENT OF
CASCADE TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS
THESE ISSUES AND TO ENSURE
THAT ALL OF THEIR RESIDENTS
ARE LIVING IN HABITABLE
CONDITIONS WHO MAY BE SPEAK
WITH
>> WE SHOWED YOU YESTERDAY
WHEN MANAGEMENT CONFRONTED US
AND ASKED US TO LEAVE. THEY
HAD NO COMMENT ABOUT THE
RESIDENTS LIKE APRIL SIZEMORE
SAY THEY ARE THANKFUL FOR THIS
ATTENTION AFTER STRUGGLING FOR
SO LONG AND AS THEY
INVESTIGATE, CITY LEADERS ARE
ENCOURAGING ANYONE WITH
PROBLEMS TO DOCUMENT THEM.
TAKE PICTURES AND THEN LET THE
CITY KNOW YOU CAN CALL 6, CITY
OR YOU CAN ALSO FILL OUT A
FORM ONLINE. WE’VE POSTED MORE
DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE NEWS 4
JAX DOT COM IN GRAND PARK. I’M
VIC MICOLUCCI CHANNEL 4, THE
LOCAL STATION.
>> VICK THANKS. WE SPOKE WITH
THE REPRESENTATIVE WITH HUD
STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE
DISTRICT OFFICE WERE ALSO ON
THE PROPERTY TODAY. THE