It was once known as one of the most dangerous apartment complexes in Augusta, but a new owner has stepped in and turned the property around into a decent place for working Augustans to live.
One year ago — almost to the day — a headline in The Augusta Press called the Fox Trace Apartments the “epicenter” of crime in west Augusta.
It was a well-earned reputation with so many shootings that residents had 911 on speed dial, drug dealers operated out in the open and pit bull terriers ran amok throughout the complex.
In July 2021, The Augusta Press reported that 39-year-old Venus Shelton was shot five times by three unknown assailants at the complex located off Wrightsboro Road on Fox Trace Drive. Shelton, a mother of three, survived the attack but was fearful about ever returning to the only home she could afford.
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The random shooting of Shelton was just the most recent in a string of shootings that injured many and left several dead. Sheriff’s deputies and investigators were stymied because the neighbors were so fearful that they refused to report on the people living in their midst.
Even the apartment complex itself was the victim of crime.
In June 2021, the management of the complex reported to police that someone had entered a storage unit on the property and carted off six refrigerators in broad daylight.
Five months ago, Cedar Grove Capital, located in New York purchased the property and rebranded it as The Landings at 237.
However, the name of the apartment complex was not the only thing that was changed.
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According to Steven Levitz, chief operating officer of Cedar Grove Capital, 53 evictions have occurred at the property.
“First, we came in and got rid of the pit bulls, and then we went through the process of evicting their owners,” Levitz said.
The property now has a state-of-the-art camera system that captures a photo of the license plate of every car that enters and has a new gated entrance that will be operational soon. Most of the units in the 70-year-old property have been renovated with not only new paint, but wiring and other modernizations.
The complex no longer accepts Section 8 vouchers, and every prospective resident must undergo a background check. Felons are not even allowed to complete the application.
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“We chased out the drug dealers; we did mass evictions. We have cameras that are linked to the police, and the police check them all the time. This is now an inhospitable place to commit crime,” Levitz said.
Cedar Grove Capital also plans to add further enhancements to the property including developing a dog park, and the rents will remain affordable for working families, he said.
District 3 Commissioner Catherine McKnight, who has spearheaded the effort to hold apartment complex owners responsible for their properties, praises the work of Cedar Grove Capital.
“The difference is light night and day. They have done a wonderful job, and it has become a great investment in our community. I just wish they would buy the Bon Air property and do the same thing,” McKnight said.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
