(Editor’s note: the story has been updated to include a comment from Commissioner Jordan Johnson)
City officials say that in less than a year’s time, The Landings at 237, formerly Fox Trace Apartments has transformed from a crime hotspot to a respectable neighborhood; meanwhile, after over two years, the Bon Air Apartments has seen very little in the way of improvements, despite the involvement of a U.S. Congressman.
The new owners of The Landings, Cedar Grove Capital of New York, have thoroughly renovated most of the units, evicted problem tenants, installed security cameras and a gate on the property.
Recently, the owners purchased a mobile observation building where security guards can get a panoramic view of the property. The building has four security cameras as well as spotlights.
Not only can security monitor the apartment complex, but the elevated building gives a recorded view of the Smart Grocery adjacent to the complex off Wrightsboro Road.
Smart Grocery has long been the location of criminal activity. Drug deals are conducted out in the open and, most recently, 17-year-old Zayquantez Jones was shot and killed in the parking lot.
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According to District 10 Commissioner John Clarke, the cameras on the observation building are tied directly into the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
Roderick Pearson, who lives near The Landings, says the new owners have restored peace and tranquility and he also gives credit to Clarke and District 3 Commissioner Catherine McKnight for facilitating dialogue between the owners, nearby residents and law enforcement.
“We don’t have gunshots waking us up at night anymore and during the day we actually see children playing out in the complex. That wasn’t the case a year ago,” Pearson said.
Cedar Grove Capital also showed their appreciation by posting a large banner on the observation building thanking the two commissioners for their cooperation.
The banner did not sit well with some of McKnight and Clarke’s colleagues on the commission.
According to McKnight, commissioners Jordan Johnson, Francine Scott and Ben Hasan called her and asked her to request the sign be taken down.
“We didn’t ask for them to do that and the city certainly did not pay for the banner or the observation deck. I am not going to ask a private company to remove a sign that is on their property,” McKnight said.
According to Pearson, Johnson and Commissioner Dennis Williams showed up on the property to view the banner and then called code enforcement to have the observation building inspected.
“Why do they have an issue with progress? I don’t get it. They need to worry about the crime problems in their districts instead of coming over here and criticizing our commissioners for doing their job,” Pearson said.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson said Pearson’s statement is not true.
“I nor Dennis called code enforcement,” said Johnson in a text message. “We didn’t ask her to remove the banner for jealousy. It was because they weren’t authorized to use our logo and that security structure didn’t meet code. They know that.”
Clarke’s views on the matter are blunt.
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“Any jackass can sit behind a dais and vote on ordinances. Catherine and I are out trying to help the community,” Clarke said.
Another apartment complex that McKnight and Clarke have devoted attention to is the Bon Air Apartments on Walton Way, but the situation is far different at that historic property.
For over a decade, the Bon Air has devolved into run-down tenement building infested with both insects, vermin and criminals.
Redwood Housing out of Texas has owned the Bon Air property for over two years, but progress has not happened anywhere near the degree to what has occurred at The Landings, according to McKnight and Clarke.
In September, U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) and McKnight met with management officials from Redwood Housing and the congressman announced the building would soon undergo a full renovation.
McKnight says the Bon Air owners simply tried to dazzle her and Allen with glossy mock-up drawings of what the building will eventually look like, but she says that she has no faith the company has any intention to do anything other than the bare minimum to keep the structure under the radar from code enforcement.
“They put up a few cameras, changed the lightbulbs in the exit signs and sprayed Lysol all over the place and that is about it,” McKnight said. “Oh, and they mopped the ballroom floor.”
Redwood Housing officials told Allen and McKnight that they are waiting for federal tax credits to be approved and that doesn’t sit well with McKnight.
MORE: Congressman applies additional pressure to owners of Bon Air Apartments
“The owners of The Landings have spent millions of their own money to fix their property and the Bon Air owners are waiting on a tax credit? That is ridiculous. It’s proof they didn’t do their homework when they bought the building,” McKnight said.
Redwood Housing also owns the Richmond Summit on Broad Street which has faced similar problems as the Bon Air.
McKnight says that she has no plans of giving up when it comes to getting Redwood to “walk their talk” and says the Bon Air remains a priority in her mind.
“They either need to renovate that building or sell it to someone who can. I am not going away anytime soon and the community is behind me,” McKnight said.
Officials from Redwood Housing did not respond to multiple calls for comment.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
