Bronx Fire Prompts Safety Walkthroughs At Crown Heights Buildings

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A long list of repairs in three major Crown Heights apartment complexes are getting renewed attention given the fatal fire in the Bronx, which was caused by a faulty space heater.

Tenant leaders in the Ebbets Field apartments, Tivoli Towers and Stoddard Place complexes led a group of elected officials on a tour through their buildings this week in the hopes of correcting long-standing problems, including heat issues, that have spurred even more concern given the January fire.

"There is no reason why we have to continue to explain the conditions these tenants are living in month after month," Councilmember Crystal Hudson Tweeted from the tours. "We demand safe AND affordable housing, not a compromise of either!"

Hudson was joined by State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and representatives from city and state agencies, according to a press release.

At the largest complex, Ebbets Field, tenants showed officials an apartment overrun by vermin, scaffolding that has become permanent, a community room that has fallen into disrepair and an elevator that consistently has service problems, according to Myrie's office. The 1,321-unit complex, found near Bedford Avenue and Montgomery Street, also only has two security officers for all seven buildings, tenants told the officials.

In particular, the 1700 Bedford Ave. building at the complex has had 132 open violations with the city since early 2019, including 35 complaints of no heat or hot water, officials said.

At Tivoli Towers — at Franklin Avenue and Crown Street —tenants told the elected officials they have asked for a ramp and a push-button to get into the building to help tenants with mobility issues and have received no response, Myrie's office told Patch.

The 321-unit building, which is under the city's Mitchell-Lama program, also has suffered flooding in its community room, fencing in its outdoor common areas and apartment leaks, Myrie's office said.

"One tenant opened her apartment to display a leak in her home," a spokesperson told Patch. "Due to the leak, the tenant had their possessions and furniture in the hallway, which management has complained is a fire hazard. The tenant can not get relief and repairs."

Finally, at Stoddard Place — found near Sullivan Street — tenants told officials about their two-year court battle with landlords. The landlords, tenants say, are harassing the rent-stabilized residents by not fixing security problems, poor lighting, a broken front door, mold, broken mailboxes and other problems, Myrie's office said.

The elected officials said they plan to help tenants file complaints about conditions at all three buildings.

They also will follow up with the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development after a visit to Stoddard Place planned on Thursday and hope to reassess the community room issues at Ebbets Field and Tivoli towers in March, Myrie's office said.

Patch did not receive replies from owners at Ebbets Field or Tivoli Towers about the conditions and was unable to find contact information for landlords at Stoddard Place. The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which has a case against Stoddard Place landlords, also did not reply to a request for comment.