With a makeover of all 150 units at Lakeside Tower apartments in Waukegan months away, some tenants are growing restless with the pace of change under new ownership after years of what Mayor Ann Taylor labeled “inhumane” conditions under the prior owners.
Quickly moving to get the elevators running and replace a leaky roof after acquiring the property on July 18, Ernst Valery, who is part of the ownership group, said Thursday the planned $20 million renovation is awaiting funding from low-income tax credits.
While ownership was initially taking care of major maintenance and security problems, Bianca Jackson, a one-time co-chair of the tenant’s union and a four-year resident, said the hot water went out around Thanksgiving.
“It feels like it might be worse,” Jackson said. “We have to take cold showers. The water feels like it’s ice cold. It’s tepid at best some of the time.”
When the roof was being replaced, Valery said the water heaters failed as some material got into the boilers. One was repaired, quickly warming water some of the time. A part is still needed to repair the second boiler. Management is awaiting its arrival.
Lakeside Tower ownership is currently working with city officials and residents to remedy immediate problems at the high-rise building just north of downtown Waukegan, as it awaits its tax-credit funding to accelerate its two-year, $20 million renovation plan.
Valery, president of Baltimore-based Aequo Foundation, which is the charitable arm of SAA|EVI and part of the ownership group, said he hopes to receive the tax-credit funding before the end of the year. All units will be renovated with a new kitchen and bathroom.
Meanwhile, Jackson, nine-year resident Jazmyn Head and others, are looking for daily changes like working hot water, an end to flooding making it hard to get from the lobby to the parking garage, and a return of security personnel to the property.
Not long after the hot water stopped working, a resident reported it to the city of Waukegan. David Motley, the city’s public relations director, said a code enforcement citation was issued and a $250 fine imposed because no building permit was issued for the work. The city and ownership are now working together.
“There is high-level collaboration between the city and the property owner,” Motley said “The Building Department is working with the owners to get all the necessary permits as soon as possible.”
Before new ownership took control, the city filed suit to have a receiver placed in charge of the property because the former owner, Apex Waukegan, put the property in what Taylor said were, “deplorable and inhumane conditions.”
While the lawsuit was pending, Kelley Gandurski, an attorney with Waukegan corporation counsel Elrod Friedman, said Thursday that Apex was required to have armed security guards on the premises.
Jackson said the security guards were no longer present by the first of the year. She feels the building is less safe. There is no way to let someone in the building without going to the lobby to let them enter.
“If there’s a shooter in the building and you call the police, you have to run by the shooter to let the police in,” Jackson said.
Valery said the security service was charging a price significantly higher than the market rate and needed to be replaced. A new company is being sought.
“They felt they were entitled to do that because they were former Waukegan police officers,” Valery said. “Companies in the roughest parts of Chicago do not charge that much.”
When it rains, Head said sewage water floods the area between the lobby and the entrance to the parking structure. Tenants have put boards in place to transverse the area without getting wet. There’s also an odor.
“Everywhere in the building, you can smell the sewage,” Head said. “By the garage, it’s even worse.”
“When it freezes over, it’s like a skating rink there,” Jackson added.
Part of the “fallout” from the roof issues, Valery said the leaky sewage is being remedied.
Nearly seven months into its ownership, he said along with handling major maintenance like replacing the roof and the elevators, the ownership group is making progress.
“We’ve stabilized the building,” Valery said. “We want everyone to know the rules so we can enforce the rules and do our job.”
