Wasted Potential 12.19.2006 | 3 Comment(s)

If you're familiar with the Southampton neighborhood, you may have walked past or seen the building. The city lists the building as a residential building, but to me it looks like a 2 story commercial building located (5401 Itaska) at the intersection of Macklind and Itaska.. It's on the northwest corner across the alley from Keith's bar.

It's a gorgeous, tan brick building loaded with potential. It features a fantastic corner entrance, large display windows and a wonderful paved area in front perfect for a dining area. The building appears to be vacant. All of the windows are painted over from the inside, the glass doors have been covered with plywood and padlocks secure the doors from the outside. The overgrown bushes from the rear yard at times block the sidewalk along Macklind. The building is, in fact, not vacant.

Every time I walk past this impressive building, there is loud music or loud talk radio blaring from it. It's not a muffled, "TV through the wall kind" of sound, it's the "TV is in your room at turned all the way up" kind of loud. When you approach the building on foot, and here's the thing I can't understand, it always, ALWAYS smells like...pee?

There have been numerous CSB complaints filed against the property. I'd like to know what action is being taken against the property owner. It appears most of the complaints filed list "Unsanitary conditions in home" as the reason for the complaint. Just last week, I noticed a yellow sticker on the front window of this building with the city seal on it, but I wasn't nosey enough to go up a read it.

There have been 32 complaints filed against the property since 1996. This building is a blight on the neighborhood and is so underutilized, especially now that Macklind Avenue is attracting new business. How can we get this property cleaned up?

By  diatriber, at 10:28 AM

i took a look at the sticker on saturday when walking up to manzo's. it's an eviction notice. good riddance!

By  Brick City, at 10:41 AM

Really? That's great! Hopefully this is a turning point for 5401 Itaska, I've always loved this building

By  equals42, at 1:04 PM

That's the "cat lady's house". If you read the southampton yahoo group you'll see quite a thread there about it. The lady had like 60 cats or something in there. There were over 100 animals in there before they kicked her out.
A new owner has bought the property. He is a local real estate agent who will have his office below and live in the apartment above. He doesn't plan to change anything about the outside of the structure. Just gut it a get rid of the urine smell.