Frustrated residents challenged the attorney representing the owners of the former Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments, demanding answers about the group’s plans for the property during a town hall Monday at Union High School.
The complex will now be known as “The Heights at 61st Street,” but the ownership remains the same.
CiTYR group is a subsidiary of Bezot Group, who’s CEO is Michael Sabo, the same man who ran Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments when it was sued by former residents.
“I can’t really re-litigate the past,” CiTYR attorney Mike McGrew said, responding to concerns about the property having the same owner moving forward. “We can only look forward to the future and do our best with it, and that's what we're trying to put forward here.”
The apartments at one time were touted as some of the nicest in Tulsa but were vacated half a decade ago due to unlivable conditions. Many residents scrambled to find housing. A lawsuit followed and a settlement agreement of $400,000 was reached between the ownership group of the property and former residents.
Now the same owner, Michael Sabo, will be investing $60 million in private funds to fix up the 591 units in five phases.
“That’s not a lot of money,” contractor James Skora said. “It’s in pretty rough shape.”
Skora attended the meeting and previously inspected the building as part of a bidding process. He does not see how that figure will be able to cover the costs needed to improve the property.
“It’s about 40% low,” Skora said. “600 units, with some pretty serious slab work, structural work, plus you’re going to put roofing on and a sprinkler system in, that’s pretty cheap.”
New regulations are in place to make sure that the property becomes livable.
Tulsa now has a Multi-Family Housing Task Force to identify and address neglect in properties.
When the complex lost its certificate of occupancy, it also lost its “grandfathered” status. This means to regain the certificate of occupancy, the property will have to update to 2018 international building code standards instead of needing to only live up to 1977 code.
Still, questions remain whether the $60 million in funding will be enough.
“I am skeptical myself of $60 million,” City Councilor Lori Decter Wright said after the town hall. “We’ll have to watch and see and hope that they deliver.”
