Residents at the troubled Lowry Apartments say the building’s heat has been out since October
A troubled apartment building in downtown St. Paul is dealing with more health and safety problems.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS first reported on the poor living conditions at the Lowry Apartments in August. The building was in foreclosure at the time.
It’s now under new management, but the city said conditions didn’t improve enough to cancel a deadline for tenants to vacate by April.
Anthony Gibson, Lowry Apartment tenant, sent 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS photos of an indoor thermometer reading 45 degrees in his apartment unit’s hallway and 33 degrees inside his apartment.
He explained these conditions threaten his family’s health and safety.
While most go inside to escape the bitter cold, Lowry Apartment tenants are stuck with no options.
“Our curtains were freezing to our windows,” Angel Turner, tenant, said. “It basically felt like we were outside.”
Since October, Turner and Gibson said they’ve been asking the management company and city officials to fix the heat in the building. In mid-November, the need for a solution became even more urgent.
“It’s not about me, per se, it’s about this little one,” Gibson said, holding his daughter. “We need help.”
Heaven is his daughter, who’s not even a month old. The family of three explained they’re running out of options.
“I want to cry, honestly,” Turner said. “There’s no reason why you should be bundled up like you’re still outside.”
The city of St. Paul said they received two calls about this recently and the fire department has been in touch with the management company.
In the meantime, officials said affected residents have received space heaters.
“I even bought a bigger heater than that small heater. It doesn’t warm up the house,” Gibson said.
The heating problem is just another issue on a laundry list of health hazards plaguing the building this year.
RELATED: Lowry Apartments in St. Paul fails another safety inspection
“There’s homeless people, needles, infestations, rats, mice and cockroaches,” Turner said.
The two parents are pleading for action to give their daughter Heaven a better home.
“I need actions today,” Gibson said.
The city of St. Paul said the heat is expected to be repaired by the end of the week.
Court documents show at least one of the new companies managing the building is Halverson and Blaiser Group.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out several times for comment and have not heard back yet. The office’s voicemails are full.