ST PAUL, Minn. — The emergency order that sparked a receivership at the historic Lowry Apartments in downtown St. Paul is over, but the building will still remain under receivership.
The City of St. Paul filed the emergency receivership order Aug. 29 but was not involved in a Tuesday morning virtual hearing in Ramsey County that formally established the receivership between receiver Frauenshuh Inc. and the apartment's original manager, Lowry Building LLC, a city spokesperson explained.
Madison Equities owns the property under the name Lowry Building LLC.
Court documents say Frauneshuh has partnered with Halverson and Blaiser Group to act on its behalf with tenants and other third parties.
Tenant Anthony Gibson said he works in the building, and that he's lived there for nearly 25 years.
"It was dirty, nasty, they didn't want to fix nothing," Gibson said. "At first, our security wasn't nothing."
Before filing the emergency order, city officials toured the building. According to court documents, the city said an emergency exists there.
"Our mayor came out," Gibson recalled.
The emergency order states the city provided testimony that essentially proved the building had so much trash, it was a fire hazard. Other safety issues included blocked-off doors and stairwells and inoperable elevators. Furniture including sofas were also "strewn about."
But now, "it looks totally different," Gibson said.
"We got a new maintenance crew," he said. "We got a new janitorial crew."
Gibson said conditions started improving after a Ramsey County judge granted the city's emergency order, appointing Frauenshuh to immediately manage the complex through Sept. 10.
"It's a lot better since the receiver started," Gibson said, "They're doing a great job of what they're doing. They secured the building for us … They changed the locks right away and that's what we like."
Frauenshuh can leave the agreement any time as long as it gives the original owners 30 days notice. But in a place with a history of squatters and feces and needles on the floors, Gibson said he hopes the new crews stick around.
"It takes time," he said. "Everybody keeps saying well it's still not that much better. We understand that. It's going to get a lot better."