How We Did It: Times-Union's investigation into problems at Downtown East Apartments

Katherine Lewin, Florida Times-Union
·4 min read
Katherine Lewin
Katherine Lewin

I am Katherine Lewin, enterprise reporter for the Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville.com.

Over the last six months, I interviewed over two dozen advocates and former and current residents of Downtown East Apartments, more widely known by its former name, Franklin Arms.

I visited with residents in their living rooms and walked through hallways of the complex built on Jacksonville's Eastside to underway the why and how of the complex's longstanding issues with code violations and crime.

The people who live at 888 Franklin St. have struggled for years with rodent and bug infestations, spotty hot water, faulty appliances, broken or missing smoke detectors, mold and damaged walls and ceilings.

Read Part 1: Rodents, roaches and mold: Downtown East Apartments cited hundreds of times but no fines

Read Part 2: Jacksonville organizations have set out to 'increase quality of life’ at Downtown East

At the Times-Union, we wanted to understand why the building, despite frequent visits from code enforcement, continues to have the same issues year after year.

I made public records requests, connected with organizations trying to help the residents and spoke with Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. Jamie Eason on their experiences in the area and, most importantly, interviewed current and former residents. I asked them how they ended up in the building, about the conditions inside the apartments and their experience trying to get safety and quality of life issues fixed with building management, and if that failed, with the City of Jacksonville's code enforcement department.

I also sought input from city leaders, Code Enforcement and the building owner Ravi Katta to try to include their perspective on the problems, as well as local organizations trying to create change for the better.

The city declined an interview, and Katta declined to be interviewed in-depth.

Over the course of my reporting, I:

  • Made a public records request for "case recaps" from the city's Code Enforcement division for the last six years. These records — which we paid $469 to obtain — lay out everything that happens from the first time a citizen files a complaint until the case is closed.

  • Analyzed each case recap and created a spreadsheet with the case number, complainant name, the complaints, notes from the inspectors, the dates the inspectors visited, and whether or not the issue was actually fixed or went all the way to a magistrate court.

  • Interviewed five different local nonprofits who work in and around the complex, trying to help residents with employment and basic necessities like food.

  • Interviewed current and former residents, including a former property manager, about life inside the building and their experiences with Code inspectors. I also spent time around the building and in the neighborhood.

  • Interviewed the owner Ravi Katta, who declined to speak in-depth on the building but did say he was not making enough money from rent payments to keep up with repairs.

  • Requested an interview with the city of Jacksonville but was declined.

  • Talked to a resident of Oakland Terrace, a nearby complex, that had similar problems years ago before being purchased by Ability Housing, a nonprofit. I also interviewed the CEO of the nonprofit

Terry Ghanzi and his partner, Sheila Secrist, previously called code enforcement for multiple violations in their Downtown East Apartments and are not happy with the repairs.
Terry Ghanzi and his partner, Sheila Secrist, previously called code enforcement for multiple violations in their Downtown East Apartments and are not happy with the repairs.

I found that the people who reside at 888 Franklin St., and the organizations advocating for them, want building ownership and the city to take responsibility for the problems that are out of their control as tenants. They want safe and affordable living conditions, free from mold and rodents and collapsing ceilings.

The data showed that while Code Enforcement inspectors are going to Franklin Arms, they rarely issue warning citations and only a handful of cases made it as far as a special magistrate court, which could levy a fine against the owner. (No fines have been levied since at least 2016.) The records also revealed that a majority of the problems in the apartments through the years are being patched at best, and left to disturb the next tenant at worst.

But I also found that there are organizations trying to help the residents of Downtown East with basic necessities, from LIFT JAX to Jewish Community Services. Residents, local nonprofits and neighbors want to see improvements at Downtown East, but believe without assistance from the city and the current owner, change is unlikely.

Read the first part of the project here. And then read more here about local organizations trying to help.

Katherine Lewin is the enterprise reporter at the Times-Union covering criminal and social justice issues in Northeast Florida. Email her at klewin@jacksonville.com or follow on Twitter @KatherineMLewin. Contact her for her Signal number to share anonymous tips and documents. Support local journalism!

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Times Union investigation into code violations Downtown East Apartments