Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols announced the start of proactive inspections at multi-family properties to identify and address short-term neglect.
Mayor Nichols said the inspections are part of his plan to pre-identify issues before they arise, and keep apartment complexes from falling into disrepair and becoming unlivable.
In his announcement, Nichols cited the trouble at the Vista Shadow Mountain Apartment complex. He called the property "a symbol of what can happen when a property gets neglected."
2 News first brought you news of trouble at Vista Shadow Mountain when we learned the complex was thousands of dollars behind on its water bill. Tenants living in the approximately 100 occupied units of the 500-unit complex reported that their water had been turned off. That was in early July 2021.
The Tulsa Fire Marshall found multiple code violations later in July 2021, and tenants were ordered to vacate. Once no longer occupied, the complex closed and has not reopened since.
Additional Coverage >>> $400,000: Vista Shadow Mountain Apt. ownership settles with evicted residents
In his announcement today, Mayor Nichols said if proactive inspections had been in place for Shadow Mountain, the complex might have avoided its closure. He also said a "Notice of Violation" was posted on the property this week, and called that "one of the tools at our disposal to ensure this property is restored to habitable conditions on a timeline that is accountable."
Mayor Nichols stated that the city will continue to explore all possible options for the property while utilizing proactive inspections to prevent other properties from ending up in a similar situation.
He also reiterated his goal to bring 6,000 affordable housing units online by 2028 and to return blighted property to a fully functional state.
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