One tower at a downtown apartment complex, Riverfront Towers, is sweating through summer without full, working A/C. Residents say it’s been nearly two months.
Now, Local 4 is learning the city is stepping in, trying to bring some relief to residents of Tower 100 at Riverfront Towers.
The city tells Local 4 that BSEED issued a 30-day correction notice to the complex’s owner in June, which expired. Now, they are issuing tickets and asking the owner to supply fans for residents.
From a flick that does nothing, to a pricey portable A/Cs, and signs posted up that say “No AC, No Rent,” residents say they’re at their end.
“They’re frustrated,” resident Erin McKaye said.
But, “frustration” for residents like McKaye is just where it starts.
McKaye and her husband moved into their spacious Riverfront Tower apartment late last year.
“It’s pretty pricey,” she said.
Things were fine, until they weren’t.
“I know by the end of May that a lot of residents were starting to complain that it was hot … They did send an email out on May 28th, just stating that they were going to do a changeover soon on the air conditioning,” she said.
According to the message shared with Local 4, that changeover was “expected to be completed” by the end of that week.
“The next update we hear was on June 10th, when it was really hot and we had that initial heat wave,” McKaye said.
She says the message estimated the A/C would be restored by the end of that day.
Later, they said the A/C was fully restored.
“They failed to tell everyone that it was at 50% capacity,” she said.
But some residents say what they’re getting is barely a breeze, if anything at all.
Patience is running out as the heat keeps hammering this building.
“I know we have a lot of seniors in this building,” she said. “Of course, this is a dog friendly community, so, of course, when you’re up higher and you have pets, they are very hot. There’s no air circulating. People who have medical conditions.”
Some are getting creative to try and help, like pulling money from emergency funds to install a portable A/C unit for only part of the area. Or, they are recommending people put their rent money in escrow and even reaching out to elected officials.
They tell me the most frustrating part is that they aren’t hearing much from management, so they’re going in other directions.
“Concerned about the A/C? Lack of communication from management? Come voice your concerns at the next office hours meeting with our District 6 councilwoman on July 27th,” McKaye said, reading from a flyer that will be passed out around the building.
Local 4 reached out to the apartment complex for a response early on Friday, but has not heard back.