City schedules hearing in Jenny Lind Hall nuisance building case

Last edited 11:55 a.m., Sept. 5, 2024 [Editor's note: An incorrect spelling of Millennia has been fixed.]

The city of Springfield is amping up its efforts in a nuisance building case involving downtown Section 8 housing complex Jenny Lind Hall.

The city has scheduled a Sept. 17 hearing related to the low-income apartment building for older adults and people with disabilities at 711 S. Jefferson Ave., according to a news release.

The city’s Department of Building Development Services began investigating complaints in February that the six-story building was operating without at least one of its two elevators. As Section 8 housing, the property is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"The city’s role is to make sure the property owners are making progress as fast as reasonably possible and also try to prevent a situation where tenants are left without a place to stay while the elevators are being repaired," City Manager Jason Gage said in the release.

Property owner Millennia Housing has stopped communication with the Building Development Services Department, city officials say. The status of the building also has been subject to questions by Springfield City Council members in recent months.

City officials said in the release that Millennia Housing has failed to get the elevators in the building working, as required under city code. Ownership communicated to tenants in mid-May that they were looking over bids, with a down payment made and repairs expected to start around the end of July, according to the release.

The city's Building Development Services Department posted a notice and order to repair the elevators on July 25. A lack of communication has led to the upcoming hearing, they say.

The hearing this month could see the city issuing a repair order within a given timeline. Should the order not be complied with in 30 days, the city may repair or demolish the building, with costs to be paid for via a special tax bill against the property. That special tax bill may be enforced through a sheriff's sale, and the owner may be cited for a municipal ordinance violation.

The city does not plan to close the building, according to the release. Its contacts at HUD say 67 tenants are currently living in Jenny Lind Hall, with nine others staying at a hotel paid for by Millennia.

Cleveland, Ohio-based Millennia owns and operates roughly 280 apartment developments in 26 states, housing more than 86,000 people and employing over 1,100, according to its website.