Condo owners at Cathedral Gardens, located at Manhattan Avenue and 110th Street, are nearing the end (they hope) of a four-year legal battle against their building's developer, Artimus Construction. A group of residents filed suit against Artimus, alleging that their residences and common facilities have experienced safety and structural problems since day one. The Columbia Spectator, which has been following the issue for years and explains the backstory, notes that specific complaints revolve around "leaks whenever it rains, poorly assembled cabinets and wooden floors, unsafe balconies, and a crack on the building's front facade."
Explaining the lawsuit's import, one resident wrote to Curbed: "This is an important story impacting the entire Harlem and UWS community as Artimus has built dozens of buildings in our areaand defects like loose brick could hurt everyone living in our area. It also reveals some of the hidden challenges involved in New York's affordable housing lotteries: Due to our building's financing structure it is very difficult for us to refinance or sell, meaning we have few options when faced with costly repair assessments."
Cathedral Gardens, FYI, is divided in half, with part of the units dedicated to Columbia and Barnard students and the other half to non-affiliates. Its inclusion in the city-run Cornerstone Program means that the condos available for purchase were at least partially designated for low- and middle-income residents [warning: PDF!]. Tenants believe they are close to a settlement, though, so the headache should soon come to an end.
· Cathedral Gardens looks to settle suit with Artimus Construction following tenant complaints [Spec]
· All Artimus Construction coverage [Curbed]
Top photo via Property Shark
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