Corporate ownership revealed after weeks of silence
Three weeks after the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority condemned more than 275 apartments at Wildwood Off Main in Texas Township, the corporate owners behind the complex have finally broken their silence.
OpenPath Investments, a Denver, Colorado company, owns the property. New Earth Residential, also based in Denver, manages it. That information came Thursday evening in an email from Peter Slaugh, who identified himself as the founder of OpenPath Investments.
It is the first direct communication from anyone in the ownership chain since the crisis began in early May.
Residents given one night to leave
Upper-floor residents at the complex received an email around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday telling them to evacuate immediately. Professional engineers had determined that all decks and stair systems in the complex are structurally unsafe and must be replaced, according to management.
"The first email said that we could continue living as normally," said Lily Deanda, a college student who has lived at Wildwood Off Main for two years. "So this was kind of a shock to us. And it is very frustrating because there is no timeline. We do not know what to do."
Aaron Cox and Jackie Miller, who have lived at the complex for more than five years, said the notice was inconsistent with earlier messaging.
"This was very short notice, and it was inconsistent with the messaging," Miller said. "By then our yellow tape was already on our stairs."
Management told upper-level residents that hotel accommodations were available for up to five days, or reimbursement of up to $200. Some residents said they have nowhere else to go.
"We are going to be homeless. Unless we find a place to live. And I never in my lifetime thought that I would be homeless," said Corey Curtis, an upper-floor resident who turned in his keys Wednesday.
Township refuses to enforce eviction
David Combs, Kalamazoo Township Supervisor, said management called 911 Wednesday night requesting police assistance to enforce the evacuation. The township refused.
"I am appalled by the bullying tactics that I am seeing and the attempts to prey on folks knowledge or lack of knowledge of this process," Combs said.
Combs said neither the township nor the county will enforce eviction notices issued by management. He described residents as caught in the middle of a dispute between KABA and the management company.
"They are suffering because of this tiff between KABA and the management company and because the owners of the management company have not kept their buildings up to code," Combs said.
Owner outlines priorities, denies bullying claims
In his email to news outlets, Slaugh wrote that the on-site team is "incredibly swamped" and said the company is doing "everything humanly possible" to manage the situation.
He outlined three priorities:
- 1.Resident safety first
- 2.Active coordination with township officials and engineers toward repairs
- 3.A commitment to begin repairs only after all second-floor residents have been successfully relocated
"We aspire to be stewards of our properties and community is core to our values as a company," Slaugh wrote. "There are many unknowns and I do not have all the answers, but we are committed to working through this as safely and quickly as possible."
Slaugh pushed back on characterizations that residents are being pressured into leaving, calling those reports inaccurate. He said the evacuation request is purely a matter of safety.
Community resources mobilize
Management said it has been working to connect displaced residents with community support. Ministry with Community is offering daily meals, private showers, laundry, hygiene products, and personal lockers to residents. Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes set up in the Wildwood parking lot Thursday with free food.
An email from management on Thursday included contacts for:
- American Red Cross
- Salvation Army
- United Way 2-1-1 line
- Gryphon Place 24/7 crisis line
- Several medical and housing assistance organizations
Two Men and a Truck also reached out following media coverage and offered to assist residents with moving belongings or storage solutions.
Inspections revealed rotting stairs and rusted supports
KABA condemned the entire complex earlier this month after inspection reports cited rotting stairways, deteriorating decks, and rusted metal supports. Lower-floor residents have been warned not to stand beneath the stairs and decks due to the potential risk of structural failure from above.
Management said once upper-level apartments are fully vacated, they expect the township will remove the condemned tags from lower-level units.
New Earth Residential has not responded to repeated requests for comment beyond the initial outreach from Slaugh.