When Brookville Garden apartments are in the news, it’s rarely good news. If you do a search on The Dispatch archives with the words “Brookville Garden,” nine of the first 10 (13 of the first 14) stories you see involve shootings.
The other stories that appear in the search aren’t pleasant, either: stories about the conditions of the property, the city’s efforts to address substandard living conditions there (including a plan to demolish three buildings on the property) and the plight of the residents of the Section 8 community who faced either living in unhealthy conditions or being forced to find housing in a city where affordable housing is extremely limited.
So, when word began to spread that some residents had received eviction notices, it seemed that bad news would again be arriving on the doorstep.
It turns out some residents will be leaving, but not through eviction. Rather, residents were given relocation notices as the new property owner renovates the complex. Residents are being relocated at no expense to them for a short period of time, perhaps a month. The renovations of all 120 units are being done in phases, which means only a few families will be relocated at any given time. It’s an inconvenience for the residents, but well worth it in the long run.
It certainly could have turned out differently.
Two years ago, the city’s board of aldermen voted unanimously to demolish three of the 27 residential buildings on the property on the grounds that they were a menace to the public health, safety and welfare of the community. Eight families would have been displaced had the demolitions taken place. A judge issued a restraining order barring the city from proceeding with the demolitions.
In 2022, Triangle Development Corp. bought the property, vowing to bring it up to standards. The company’s $11 million redevelopment project is now underway.
We cannot imagine a better resolution. The city doesn’t have to turn its back on deplorable conditions, residents don’t have to live in squalor and no buildings are being demolished, which would have created an even greater scarcity of affordable housing.
We commend the city for working with the new owner to find this solution, one that benefits some of the city’s poorest residents and gives them hope, perhaps.
It would be a considerable overstatement to say the renovations mean an end to the history of violence that has victimized Brookville Garden residents. Yet we do know that crime flourishes among the poor because the multitude of stresses that afflict the poor can work together to strip away hope, create desperation and break down social standards.
Yet removing one of those stressors — an unhealthy living environment — is a promising step. To paraphrase Churchill, it may not be the beginning of the end of the violence at Brookville Garden but it could signal the end of the beginning.
It is, if nothing else, a hopeful step forward and good news, for a change.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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