Monday morning, residents of an Omaha apartment complex were notified they were being relocated due to the entire complex being shut down by the city. The apartment complex is called Legacy Crossing, which is near 105th and Fort St. It’s estimated that 165 total households live at the complex.
Recent inspections show all 17 buildings have safety violations, Stothert said. The complex has about 408 apartments, with current occupancy at less than 44%, according to the city.
Legacy Crossing, which is owned by Vukota Real Estate in Colorado, passed an inspection in October 2021, according to Stothert, and the violations that were found were corrected.
“Since then, the property has deteriorated rapidly,” Stothert said.
Stothert said recent violations have included no heat, water damage, raw sewage and fire code violations. There have been two fires recently at the complex, including an arson.
In the last seven weeks, there have been two fires at the complex, including an arson fire on December 15th. The city says roughly 165 units were occupied as of Monday, but that they weren’t sure exactly how many people lived at the complex. The property was recently under contract for sale. However, the buyer backed out prior to the closing date last week, and indicated the accelerated deterioration of the property since their first site visit as the reason. The City was notified Thursday that foreclosure proceedings are now underway. The owner’s representative has told both the fire and housing inspectors that they will not make repairs to the property or make any additional investment.
The mayor said the city has identified more than 100 apartments that are available and ready for tenants. There is a fund available from the Omaha Community Foundation to support the families.
Representatives from Heartland Family Service will provide tenant assistance, housing options, and emergency assistance. Several donors have provided $250,000 to assist tenants with relocation costs, including temporary housing, deposits for new apartments, and other unexpected expenses. The Omaha Community Foundation has created the Legacy Crossing Relief Fund“. Anyone who wishes to make a contribution to support the families can donate to the fund here.
