Tenants and supporters of Chelsea Gardens Apartments in College Park protest outside of City Hall as they face forced removal from the now condemned complex. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
Tenants of a College Park apartment complex are facing forced removal following the property’s condemnation.
Chelsea Gardens is an apartment complex just off Godby Road in College Park. Tenants said the neighborhood has endured several shootings and other crime-related events.
“Basically, we got notice that we had to leave or … be evicted,” said Deanna Dawson, a resident of Chelsea Gardens for nearly three years.
“It’s really hard right now. especially based on the fact that that apartment is probably one of the most reasonably priced apartments in the area,” Dawson added.
The complex’s residents were notified of the city’s condemnation of the property around late April. Though some said the news came a few weeks earlier, notices dated April 22 from College Park City Manager Emmanuel Adediran declared “Chelsea Gardens unfit for human habitation.”
Sarah Ganzy has lived in Chelsea Gardens for two years. She said people were given eight days to find new places to live.
“After we signed the lease, they terminated the lease … saying that we had until April 30, where they were going to shut the water and the power out,” she said.
She and several other tenants were without water for an extended period following efforts to tear down the apartments, according to Ganzy.
Residents protested and voiced demands outside College Park’s city hall with less than two days before the initial April deadline. But, an extension was granted till the end of May without much notice.
“They didn’t let any of the tenants know that they had this extension. Thirty days is not a reasonable time to move out,” said Bezaleel Jupiter, an organizer with Party of Socialism & Liberation (PSL).
“I mean, think about if you had to move out in 30 days, that’s not a reasonable time for you. So why should it be a reasonable time for them?” Jupiter added.
The complex was recently taken over by new management. The new owner, Pretas “Pete” Dedvukaj, is with Contour Companies.
Tenants and supporters of Chelsea Gardens Apartments in College Park protest outside of City Hall, led by Party of Socialism & Liberation member Bazaleel Jupiter. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
Dedvukaj has yet to respond to WABE’s request for comment; however, a Fulton assessor’s search states the owner information hasn’t been updated in over a year.
Though the deadline was pushed, some people still felt the emotional impacts of uprooting from their homes, like Cassandra Meenaghan.
“This hurt because you took everything,” Meenaghan said. “Not only was I reeling from my own personal losses and going through what I was going through — you added that on top of it. Getting back on your feet? It’s difficult.”
College Park City Councilman Roderick Gay attended the rally. He assured residents that their concerns were being heard and that the city is making an effort to help.
“There’s [only] so much legal jurisdiction that the city can do with private ownership. But I do know that I can give you my word, and I know that this city is being responsive,” Gay said.
Officials with PSL said utilities are still being cut at the complex, while the city has yet to offer assistance or relocation options to residents.
“According to affected tenants, property management abruptly terminated mail, water, and electrical services to multiple units without proper notice or legal procedure,” PSL said in a recent press release.
And College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom gave an update on her involvement in the matter after several people raised concerns in council meetings.
“I was not consulted, briefed, or included in the decision to condemn the property,” Motley Broom wrote. “I’m deeply concerned that the involvement of city leadership in this sweeping eviction may have accelerated displacement rather than protecting those most affected.”
Currently, about 40 families still live in Chelsea Gardens. According to PSL, several residents are without water and other utilities, and people in the communities are organizing to distribute water throughout the complex.
The Church of Atlanta is also taking measures to help those facing displacement find a workable solution, with just under two weeks to leave the complex.
“As someone who has walked these grounds near daily, I can attest: the outreach has been minimal, and the empathy has been missing,” said Church of Atlanta Pastor William Wallace. “If the city truly cared, they would welcome every effort. But instead, it’s been silence, gatekeeping, and avoidance.”
