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Buildings from Hell: Abandoned businesses attract crime and lower property values

9:39 p.m. Sunday, May 20, 2007

Topeka — In our series ‘Houses from Hell,’ we took a look at houses that have been abandoned and have become eyesores for neighbors. In part five of our series we take a look at the Buildings from Hell that have been sitting throughout the Capital City, attracting crime and bringing down property values.

“People see an empty apartment and they start breaking in,” says Topeka resident Teresa Galvan.

Galvan has lived in Southeast Topeka for more than twenty years. And for the past four years, the Bentwood apartments directly across the street from her house have sat empty. Galvan says she's had to call the police before after seeing two men trying to break in the apartments.

A spokesman for the management company says the owners have been trying to sell the property and have applied for grants for renovation, but they haven't had any luck.

“I'd like to see the apartments rebuilt. I really would like to see them used for low income housing,” says Galvan.

Another Topeka resident, Jerry Penner, called us because he was worried his salvage yard located in Southeast Topeka will turn into a business from hell. He says someone set fire to one of his buildings and he has been turned down for a permit for his salvage yard.

“I'm supposed to get rid of the all of my inventory, and I can't use it for anything,” says Penner.

Ed Lohmann is worried about the apartments located in the 1300 block of SW Fillmore. They have been vacant for at least two years. He says he would like to see to something done with both buildings.

“…someone to come in and take pride in the ownership of their homes,” says Lohmann.

Empty buildings which once held businesses can be seen scattered throughout the Capital City, many of which can be found downtown. Commercial Real Estate agent Mike Morse says he would like to more businesses consider moving downtown.

“We have not had our focus on downtown re-development,” says Morse.

Morse says many of the vacant buildings throughout were built before the American with Disabilities act was passed in 1990.

“If you can't get your clients into the building, that's a problem. If the state says ‘we won't let you lease a building that's not fully handicapped accessible,’ it's not going to be leased,” says Morse.

But Morse says the retail space picture in Topeka is looking pretty good. He's not worried that spaces like the former K-Mart are sitting vacant because he says there is such a demand in Topeka.

“The key to be able to service those people is being available, so vacancy is a good thing,” says Morse.

Of the 1300 properties in the Capital City, less than eight percent are vacant. But those numbers are of little comfort to those with empty buildings in their neighborhood.

“There are kids around this area and that's not safe,” says Topeka resident Teresa Bentwood.

On Wednesday, we will gather all of the information from your phone calls and take your concerns to local officials to try and affect change in your neighborhoods. And we will follow the process until the end.