- Owners of the old Pathways school are working to bring affordable housing to the area but a recent break-in could slow down the project.
- Some neighbors say empty buildings in the area are driving crime to the neighborhood.
- Watch the story to find out what owners of the old Pathways school building are planning next.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Police have told property owners that a group of vandals rushed this building breaking dozens of windows to force their way inside.. Only to cause more damage.
"It's a financial setback on getting the apartments going,” said Jennifer Craine.
WTXL reporter AJ Douglas in the West Bainbridge neighborhood talked to the property owners who aim to fill this empty building… Despite the damage.
Broken glass and boarded up windows tell a story here.
During a weekly check, property owner, Rubeun Craine and his wife Jennifer Craine, discovered...
"A lot of windows [are] broken.. We're still accessing the total damage.. There's paint all over the walls,” according to Jennifer.
The Craines are planning to bring roughly 55 affordable housing rentals to the area.
Six months ago we told you how neighbors were divided when it came down to decide if a rental development was good for the community.
Thursday, we asked neighbors where they stand now. Some say communication is key.
"Try to come to some type of solution between the people that live in the neighborhood and those that might be coming into the neighborhood,” said Vantillia Carter, West Bainbridge property owner.
While others said it's time for updated housing on the westside.
"It doesn't bother me because we need better housing and everything,” said West Bainbridge resident, Eugine Porter.
When the Craines went to the city council to request the existing institutional zoning be changed to residential and commercial zoning it was denied six months prior.
"So we got denied because they [city council] like the ideal of the apartments but they didn't like the ideal of the arcade,” said Jennifer.
Now this vandalism has owners throughout the neighborhood saying empty properties are driving crime to the area.
"It attracts more vandalism.. They have a place where they can go party and nobody's paying attention,” said Jennier.
"[It's] an easy target for crime.. Loitering.. People looking for items that they might be able to steal,” said Carter.
The Craines plan to go back before city council to request official approval to move forward with the housing conversion project.
People living in the area said more police patrolling the area is needed.
