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Location DB >
United States >
Texas >
Garland >
The Condemned Apartments
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Publically Viewable |
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This location has been labeled as Demolished, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
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Just a typical wood and masonry, two story apartment complex on more than 40 acres of prime commercial real estate. Over 800 apartments designed around a village concept with an activity center and all the modern amenities, a gymnasium, a health club, multiple swimming pools, waterfalls, satellite TV even a YWCA branch and large community party room.
Due to the appearance of effective "looking" security there has been minimal scrapping and vandalism since it was vacated.
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Type: Building
Status: Demolished
Accessibility: Moderate
Recommendation: forget it
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asbestos
unsafe flooring
craptons of debris, nails, broken glass etc
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A large apartment complex now vacant and semi-demolished, doomed by government subsized housing programs, criminally inclined residents and asbestos not to mention unscrupulous developers and corrupt politicians.
It was a fun challenge to explore this site dodging the lone security guard who kept a pretty routine schedule and rarely made random site checks. Generally they only patrolled the property on their way to lunch and dinner.
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fences
24 hour guard
locked gates
wooden boarding
Southwest Protective Services (armed guards)
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flashlight
breathing mask
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The Village of Eastgate was an upper middle class apartment complex for more than 20 years. It attracted a large following of young urban swingers and was known as THE singles place to live.
Then The Government got involved. Suddenly, over 30% of the residents living in the 878 unit complex were on welfare or some form of entitlement. Crime and decay soon followed and the working class residents moved out as is the pattern in so many HUD subsidized neighborhoods. Drug dealers, prostitutes and junked or stolen automobiles became a permanent part of this once nice neighborhood.
In 1996 HUD sold the 42 acre site to the City of Garland for $1 with the stipulation that the apartments be maintained as low income affordable housing. That didnt last long and the City soon closed the complex down and started trying to sell it.
In January of 2005 the land and the 105 buildings were sold to Provident Realty Advisors. This developer also purchased the out dated Royal Inn and a 30000 square foot office complex nearby with plans to level the whole neighborhood and build a mega shopping center anchored by big box retailers Target and Home Depot. As they proceeded with the demolition asbestos was discovered in the walls and ceilings. An asbestos remediation team was brought in to spray water on the rubble as the site was being razed but officials with the State health department pointed out that the contaminated water runoff was just as hazardous as the dust. Then a different asbestos removal expert who was called in to evaluate the situation declared the entire site unsafe.
Demolition was stopped after only 6 buildings had been leveled and lawsuits seemed eminent until Garland's mayor agreed to pay the developer enough money to cover the cost of proper asbestos abatement procedures.
I doubt that will be the end of the legal problems but either way the taxpayers will end up getting stuck with the bill coming and going. Word is the developer still owes a bunch of money to the first demolition company.
Today the site sits surrounded by a 6ft chain link fence and posted with warning signs. Nearby residents and business owner's complaints about the asbestos dust and contaminated storm water runoff fell on deaf ears. Someone maybe the city made a lame effort to contain the runoff with a few sandbags and some plastic erosion control fence but thats just for looks. Many of the buildings are left open and crumbling, water from the site still enters the storm drains. Some units were left pretty much intact. The property is essentially one giant code violation with overgrown with grass and weeds, open pits and debris piles on city easements.
UPDATE: demolition has begun an asbestos abatement crew is onsite and gutting these structures there is also a travel trailer parked behind the old office and there is someone there 24/7 now.
Updated: its long gone now, Target Walmart and Home Depot have replaced it all. Even the streets have been re-routed and their names changed in an effort to forget history.
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A 450000 square foot shopping center costing $60 million
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The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.
| Category |
Rating |
| Photography |
6 / 10 |
| Coolness |
6 / 10 |
| Content Quality |
6 / 10 |
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This location's validation is current. It was last validated by
Steed on 7/25/2014 2:34 AM.
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on Jul 25 14 at 2:34, Steed validated this location
on Jul 23 14 at 13:51, Explorer Zero changed the following: History
on Jul 23 14 at 13:49, Explorer Zero updated a story
on Jul 23 14 at 13:49, Explorer Zero updated a story
on Jul 23 14 at 13:47, Explorer Zero updated a story
on Jul 23 14 at 13:47, Explorer Zero updated a story
on Jul 23 14 at 13:27, Explorer Zero created a new story
on Jul 23 14 at 13:26, Explorer Zero changed the following: Description
on Jul 23 14 at 12:57, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Silent playground
on Jul 23 14 at 12:55, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Mirror image
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